The Federal Government has announced plans to begin the rollout of a 90,000-kilometre fibre optic network within weeks as part of efforts to expand broadband access and accelerate Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, disclosed this after briefing President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on the progress of key digital infrastructure initiatives being implemented by the ministry.
According to Tijani, all contractual and financing arrangements for the ambitious project have been concluded, paving the way for physical deployment across the country. He explained that the network would connect every state, local government area and ward, significantly improving internet access and the quality of digital services nationwide.
The minister described the initiative as a transformative project capable of reshaping Nigeria’s economy by supporting innovation, digital inclusion and business growth.
Tijani attributed the sector’s recent growth to policy reforms introduced by the Federal Government, including the designation of telecommunications infrastructure as Critical National Infrastructure, tariff adjustments and efforts to harmonise taxes within the industry.
He noted that the digital economy’s contribution to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product has increased substantially under the current administration, reflecting growing investor confidence and improved industry performance.
Beyond broadband expansion, the minister announced plans to deploy approximately 3,700 telecommunications towers beginning in October. The project is expected to provide network coverage for more than 20 million Nigerians currently living in underserved and unconnected communities.
He said the initiative would bridge the digital divide, improve access to communication services and create opportunities for economic participation in remote areas.
Tijani also revealed that Nigeria would launch a new alphanumeric postcode system on October 1. The system is designed to assign unique addresses to individual properties across the country, improving logistics, emergency response, e-commerce operations and public service delivery.
According to him, the digital addressing framework will place Nigeria among a small number of countries operating advanced postcode systems capable of uniquely identifying every building.
The minister added that integrating the new postcode system with existing government databases would strengthen security, enhance service delivery and improve planning across multiple sectors.
The projects form part of the administration’s broader strategy to leverage technology and digital infrastructure to drive economic growth, improve governance and expand opportunities for citizens.
