The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has identified multiple taxation and weak regulatory frameworks as major impediments to growth in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.
Edun made the statement at a two-day business roundtable on broadband connectivity and infrastructure protection organized by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in Abuja on Wednesday.
Represented by Ali Mohammed, Director of the Home Finance Department, the minister called for increased private sector investment, acknowledging that the government alone cannot address the sector’s challenges.
“This sector is virtually vulnerable; it is compact, therefore, we are calling on our local and international investors to come forward so that we can invest in this particular sector,” Mohammed said. “The problems have been identified… We need the cooperation and collaboration of the private sector.”
Echoing the call for collaboration, the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) urged state governments to accelerate reforms that protect broadband infrastructure and align with the federal government’s target of 80% broadband penetration by 2027.
Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, Chairman of the NGF, warned that states failing to act risk being “economically disadvantaged” in the digital era. Represented by the NGF’s Director-General, Abdulateef Shittu, he revealed that 19 states have already capped the Right-of-Way (RoW) charges at N145 per metre to attract investors.
“Achieving 80 percent penetration by 2027 will require an additional 5,000 kilometres of fibre, and that means closer collaboration among states, federal agencies, and private operators,” Shittu stated.
He added that the NGF has directed states to establish local security frameworks to prevent fibre vandalism, emphasizing that protecting this infrastructure is critical for sustaining investments.
Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina State shared his administration’s approach, which involves creating community-level committees comprising traditional rulers and local stakeholders to safeguard telecoms installations.
“You cannot attract investment when there is no protection for those assets,” Governor Radda said.
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, underscored the strategic importance of digital infrastructure, stating that states which do not prioritise broadband and digital inclusion will be left behind in competitiveness and job creation.
Ribadu confirmed that the ONSA is collaborating with the NCC and state governments to secure telecoms assets under the Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) framework.
“The success of broadband protection depends on collaboration and shared responsibility,” the NSA said, urging every level of government to play its part in safeguarding Nigeria’s digital future.
