Nigeria records 7m new broadband subscriptions in 7 months

BY Anita Okoro

Nigeria recorded a quantum leap in broadband penetration between November 2021 and May 2022 as the number of new subscriptions reached 7 million.

Umar Danbatta, executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), disclosed this at the 11th eWorld Forum in Lagos on Thursday.

Danbatta said the feat was achieved through several steps being taken towards implementing all the digital economy-oriented policies that require the attention of the NCC, including the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025, and the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), 2020-2030.

He said the implementation of the Commission’s Strategic Vision Plan (SVP) 2021-2025, also known as NCC’s 5-Point Agenda, is contributing to the steady rise in the nation’s quest to achieve 70 percent national coverage by 2025.

The NCC boss, who was represented at the event by Abraham Oshadami, head, spectrum administration at NCC, said internet subscribers have grown from 90 million in 2015 to 150.36 million as at May 2022.

“Also, within the period under review, broadband penetration increased from 8 percent to 43.67 percent, indicating that over 83.3 million subscribers are on broadband networks of 3G and 4G. Indeed, between November 2021 and May 2022, the networks have added 7 million new users,” Danbatta said.

“It is our belief that the communications industry will continue to experience more quantum leaps that will be beneficial to the nation’s economy and its citizens,” he said.

He noted that in the fourth quarter of 2021, the telecoms sector contributed 12.61 percent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a reasonable leap from 8.50 percent in 2015. Active mobile voice subscription also increased from 151 million in 2015 to over 204 million as of May 2022, while teledensity is 107.17 percent.

On universal access and service, the NCC chief executive said the Commission, through the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), has recorded huge successes in ensuring that telecommunications services are accessible to a large number of people (and communities) at affordable prices. This is in addition to various projects being implemented by the Commission to increase universal access and service, as well as to enhance government efforts in poverty reduction.