The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector contributed N9.44 trillion to Nigeria’s economy in the third quarter of 2025, highlighting the growing importance of broadband expansion to national development.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics’ Gross Domestic Product report, the telecommunications and information services subsector led the ICT industry with N7.47 trillion, representing a 1.22% year-on-year growth from N7.38 trillion in Q3 2024, though it fell 3.95% from N7.78 trillion in Q2 2025. Other key contributors included broadcasting at N1.04 trillion, motion pictures, sound recording and music production at N911.77 billion, and publishing at N18.6 billion.
Despite these multibillion-naira contributions, stakeholders stressed that Nigeria must bridge the digital divide to fully unlock the sector’s potential. While urban centres like Lagos enjoy relatively stable connectivity, vast areas of the country still lack adequate digital infrastructure.
Leye Kupoluyi, President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), said broadband penetration is “a form of economic infrastructure for young people and the wider economy.” He linked improved connectivity to agricultural productivity, noting that the value-added potential of Nigerian cash crops, currently around 30%, could increase significantly through technological integration. Kupoluyi also highlighted the National Identification Number (NIN) and Bank Verification Number (BVN) as tools for creating a digital safety net, urging the government to act swiftly rather than await “100% perfection.”
Industry experts at the Africa Hyperscalers Connectivity Strategy Workshop in Lagos pointed to inefficiencies in Nigeria’s existing fibre infrastructure. The country has eight subsea cable systems delivering over 360 terabits per second of capacity, yet fixed broadband penetration remains only six percent. Redundant and fragmented infrastructure, particularly in major cities, inflates costs and limits nationwide connectivity. For example, a single 96-core fibre deployment along Lagos’ Third Mainland Bridge costs approximately N248 million, often duplicated by multiple operators.
To address these challenges, operators called on the Federal Government to accelerate “Project Bridge,” a proposed 90,000-kilometre national fibre backbone. An open-access principle would allow multiple providers to share infrastructure, avoiding costly duplication and ensuring underserved states are connected.
Responding to these concerns, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy Dr. Bosun Tijani confirmed that the government plans to fund the construction of 3,700 telecom towers in rural areas to connect 23 million Nigerians, particularly in northern regions.
Local manufacturing of telecom components is also seen as critical to reduce costs and reliance on imports. George Onafowokan, Managing Director of Coleman Wires and Cables Industries Limited, emphasised that infrastructure spending in telecom is as essential as in petroleum or cement. The recent inauguration of Coleman Technical Industries Limited’s fibre optic factory in Ogun State—the largest in Africa—aligns with the government’s ambition to transform Nigeria into a $1 trillion economy. Tijani described the facility as a “significant milestone” that will support Project Bridge and accelerate nationwide fibre deployment cost-effectively.
As Nigeria’s ICT sector grows, stakeholders argue that sustained investment in broadband, fibre infrastructure, and local manufacturing is key to bridging the digital divide, boosting economic output, and ensuring inclusive national development.
Babatunde AKinsola ✔
Godwin Okafor is the Publisher & CEO of Naija247news Media Group LLC, an independent investigative news platform delivering accurate, data-driven reporting on Nigerian and global politics, economy, finance, and business. Founded in October 2010, Naija247news specializes in developmental journalism, providing timely insights and analysis to readers across Nigeria and the diaspora.
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