Stakeholders in Nigeria’s telecom and digital economy sector say poor coordination in infrastructure rollout is threatening a $2 billion national fibre expansion plan, as they push for urgent adoption of a Dig-Once policy to cut costs, reduce outages and accelerate broadband access.
The call was made in Lagos at the National Dig-Once Policy Forum, which also marked the 8th Policy Implementation Assisted Forum (PIAFo), where industry leaders warned that without reform, Nigeria may struggle to meet its 90,000km fibre deployment target.
The proposed Dig-Once policy requires fibre ducts to be installed during road construction or rehabilitation, allowing multiple telecom operators to share infrastructure and avoid repeated excavation.
Omobayo Azeez, convener of the forum, said the policy could significantly reduce the risks facing Project BRIDGE, the federal government’s flagship broadband initiative.
Project BRIDGE aims to expand Nigeria’s fibre network from about 35,000km to 125,000km by 2030, with support from the World Bank, which is backing the project with $500 million.
‘At a time when Project BRIDGE is taking off, Dig-Once stands out as the policy instrument that can de-risk implementation and maximise long-term national value,’ Azeez said.
Industry leaders say the current system is fragmented, costly and prone to damage, with operators often cutting each other’s cables during uncoordinated road works.
Tony Emoekpere, president of the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria, said Nigeria’s challenge is not the absence of policies but poor execution.
‘We have so many policies we don’t execute well. What Dig-Once offers is an opportunity to correct this,’ he said.
Data presented at the forum showed that about 60 percent of network outages in Nigeria are caused by fibre cuts linked to road construction activities.
Gbenga Olabiyi, chief executive officer of Dimensions Data Limited, said despite having about 35,000km of fibre installed, only 16 percent of Nigerians are connected to it, while broadband penetration stands at around 45 percent.
He noted that connectivity remains concentrated in urban areas, leaving rural communities underserved.
‘The infrastructure we have is not translating to the level of service we should be seeing,’ Olabiyi said, pointing to a long-standing gap in fibre distribution.
Participants also cited figures from the Nigerian Communications Commission showing that out of 50,000 fibre cut incidents recorded annually, about 30,000 are linked to road construction and rehabilitation.
To address this, stakeholders called for changes to road design standards to include fibre ducts from the planning stage, ensuring that broadband infrastructure is treated as a critical utility.
Segun Okuneye, deputy director at ipNX Nigeria, said road contractors should be mandated to install ducts during construction to prevent repeated digging and service disruptions.
Beyond deployment, experts also raised concerns about ageing infrastructure, warning that early fibre cables laid 15 to 20 years ago are nearing the end of their lifespan.
Gbenga Adebayo, chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria, , urged operators to share infrastructure and jointly upgrade old networks rather than duplicating investments.
‘Early fibres laid years ago are ageing, and the industry needs a plan to replace them without everyone digging the same routes again,’ he said.
Technology solutions were also highlighted as part of efforts to reduce downtime. Chinese tech firm Huawei Technologies presented a fibre sensing system that can detect and locate cable damage in real time with up to 99.9 percent accuracy using artificial intelligence.
The system works by turning fibre cables into sensors that can detect vibrations, temperature changes and physical strain along their length, helping operators respond faster to faults.
However, infrastructure protection remains a major concern.
Operators said enforcement of the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) framework is still weak, despite ongoing collaboration between security agencies such as the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Office of the National Security Adviser.
Kenny Joda of FibreOne Broadband said vandalism and accidental damage continue to disrupt services, noting that his company recorded four fibre cuts in April alone.
Stakeholders agreed that stronger enforcement, better coordination among government agencies, and community awareness are critical to protecting telecom infrastructure.
They warned that without urgent action, Nigeria risks slowing down its digital economy ambitions, even as demand for data and connectivity continues to grow.
The forum affirmed that adopting a nationwide Dig-Once framework could be the turning point in delivering reliable, affordable broadband and unlocking the full value of Nigeria’s expanding digital infrastructure.