Chioma Ezike
The Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy Dr Bosun Tijani has called for collaboration to strengthen the National Broadband Alliance for Nigeria (NBAN) and enhance broadband penetration and accessibility nationwide.
Speaking at the inauguration of NBAN in Lagos , Dr Tijani said that the initiative was aimed at forming an alliance to drive and facilitate broadband penetration because a single entity cannot achieve the giant strides of extending broadband penetration to all the nooks and crannies of the country.
Dr Tijani, who was represented by the Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr Aminu Maida, said such collaboration would reshape the future of Nigeria and accelerate collective prosperity.
The minster who was represented by the Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr Aminu Maida, said such collaboration would reshape the future of Nigeria and accelerate collective prosperity.
In a key note address entitled ““The Broadband Alliance: Accelerating Our Collective Prosperity Through Connectivity, Dr Bosun-Tijani who was represented by the Executive Vice Chairman Nigerian Communications Commission NCC, Dr Aminu Maida said the National Broadband Alliance for Nigeria ,NBAN is not just an initiative but a transformative journey that will pave the way for a digitally connected Nigeria.

He said, the journey aligns seamlessly with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President, which emphasises on innovation, technology, and collaboration, being essential pillars for driving prosperity for all Nigerians.
He added that taking stock of the county’s progress in broadband development, From a modest six per cent broadband penetration in 2015, to the approximately 42 per cent growth in October 2024, as reported by the NCC the progress Dr Tijani said is quite commendable, though there is much more to be done to ensure that every Nigerian enjoy the benefits of reliable, and high-speed internet.
Dr Bosun-Tijani said the alliance is expected to prioritise areas with limited broadband coverage, addressing the digital divide and promoting digital inclusion,
According to him, in spite of the growing availability of fibre networks, the country faces an unfortunate paradox: many of these networks remain under-utilised.
Dr Tijani said that in numerous parts of the country, the capacity of existing fibre infrastructure far exceeded the demand.
The minister attributed this primarily to a lack of access to necessary infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas, compounded by significant barriers to broadband adoption.
He said that these barriers included limited access to devices, lack of awareness, inadequate digital literacy, cumbersome regulatory processes, and power supply challenges.
According to him, this under-utilisation of existing infrastructure hinders digital transformation and also negatively impacts the return on investment this vicious cycle, he added must be broken in order to realise the full potential of broadband and its contribution to our digital economy, h
ence the introduction of NBAN was in response to this challenge.
Dr Tijani said that NBAN was founded on the principle that no single entity could achieve universal broadband access alone.
He, however, commended the pilot states Edo, Ogun, Kwara, Katsina, Imo, Abia, Borno and Nasarawa for their leadership in addressing challenges like right-of-way fees and for creating an enabling environment for broadband expansion.
Earlier in an opening remark the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC Dr Aminu Maida the launch of NBAN represents a pivotal moment in driving collaboration and tackling the key challenges that have hindered broadband expansion, From high-rises to infrastructure, vandalism to investment barriers and the need for a demand-driven solutions.
Dr Maida said NBAN offers a comprehensive framework to overcome these obstacles and unlock the potential of broadband connectivity.
The framework he noted would l steer collective efforts to bridge the digital divide, ensuring broadband connectivity becomes a powerful catalyst for job creation, innovation, economic growth and social development.

Also speaking at the launch, Yunusa Ya’u Executive Director of the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), said that about 30 million Nigerians were living in digitally unconnected communities.
Ya’u said that these Nigerians were in dire need of inclusion in the country’s digital transformation journey for digital equity.
While lamenting the digital divide, he emphasised that connectivity remained a right that should be guaranteed for all Nigerians, particularly those in underserved and unserved communities.
The executive director noted that the current reliance on Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) for broadband expansion had limitations, as investments were often driven by returns, leaving marginalised communities behind.
Ya”u advocated for alternative solutions, such as community-centered connectivity initiatives, which empowered communities to own and mobilise resources to address their connectivity gaps.
He said that his organisation had implemented over 14 pilot community projects across Nigeria, providing community services and promoting digital inclusion.
Ya’u called on NCC to provide regulatory support and policy tweaks to enable the scaling up of community-centered connectivity initiatives.
He also emphasised the need to revisit the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) Act to enable it fulfil its primary responsibility of bridging the digital divide.
He further commended the launch of the NBAN but urged stakeholders to be innovative and creative in developing policies and regulations that promoted digital equity and inclusion.
In a presentation, the Managing Director Galaxy backbone Mr Ibrahim Adeyanju who said the national Broadband Alliance is aimed at pulling resources to help drive innovation said Galaxy back bone has been working to improve broadband solutions in Nigeria Universities.
The Commissioner for Business Innovation and Technology, Kaduna State Patience Fakal said in today’s digital era, broadband connectivity is not just a necessity. It is the backbone of economic growth, innovation and inclusion.
She said that Kaduna state strongly aligns with the vision of NBAN and will unite the power of ICT in transforming governance, enhancing service delivery and improving the lives of citizens.
“Our administration, under the leadership of His Excellency Senator Obasanji, has been proactive in implementing policies and partnerships that drive digital transformation. Key achievements in our ICT agenda include, we have over 30 kilometers of active connectivity, signing up an MOU with Huawei Technologies to expand fiber optic infrastructure, ensuring wider broadband access across the state, eliminating rights of way targets for telecommunications companies, accelerating broadband education by reducing internet costs, establishing a new technology city, an emerging smart city designed to foster digital innovation, entrepreneurship and job creation, developing the Kaduna Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, a first of its kind initiative among Nigerian states to empower youth in ICT-driven enterprises. ‘:” Fakal said
High point of the event was a panel Session moderated by a renowned economist Bismarck Rewane.