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The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has intensified efforts to deepen broadband penetration across the country by engaging key stakeholders in the development of a transparent and cost-based framework for sharing underground telecommunications ducts under Nigeria’s Dig Once Policy.
The initiative, which the Commission believes will significantly reduce broadband deployment costs while eliminating repeated road excavations, formed the focus of the Second Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum on the Development of a Pricing Mechanism and Cost-Based Structure for Sharing Ducts Built Under the Dig Once Policy, held at the Commission’s Annex Office in Mbora, Abuja. The forum attracted representatives of federal and state government institutions, telecommunications operators, infrastructure companies, development partners and industry associations, who deliberated on the interim findings of an ongoing study aimed at creating an equitable access framework for underground duct infrastructure.
Speaking at the event, the Director of Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis at the NCC, Mr. Ayuba Shuaibu, said the consultative process demonstrates the Commission’s determination to develop regulations that reflect the interests of all stakeholders while advancing Nigeria’s digital infrastructure.
According to him, the proposed framework is expected to encourage greater infrastructure sharing, improve the utilisation of existing assets, lower the cost of broadband deployment and support the expansion of telecommunications infrastructure across the country.
Shuaibu explained that the study focuses on establishing a fair and transparent pricing mechanism for sharing underground ducts installed during road construction and rehabilitation projects in line with the Dig Once Policy. He noted that the policy would make future fibre-optic deployments easier by preventing the need for repeated road excavations.
He reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to an open and inclusive process, stressing that the objective is to produce a pricing structure that balances the interests of infrastructure providers, access seekers and consumers while sustaining investment in broadband infrastructure.
“The Commission remains committed to a transparent, inclusive and consultative process. Our objective is to arrive at a pricing structure that balances the interests of infrastructure providers, access seekers and, ultimately, consumers, while also encouraging continued investment in broadband infrastructure,” Shuaibu stated.
He urged stakeholders to make constructive contributions that would strengthen the study, assuring participants that their recommendations would be incorporated into the final report to ensure that the resulting framework is practical, commercially sustainable and responsive to industry realities.
In a keynote presentation, the Managing Director of Dimension Data Limited, Mr. Olugbenga Olabiyi, described passive infrastructure—including ducts, conduits and manholes—as one of the most expensive components of broadband network deployment worldwide.
He observed that infrastructure sharing has become an effective strategy for reducing deployment costs, improving efficiency and accelerating broadband expansion, adding that Nigeria’s Dig Once Policy presents an important opportunity to strengthen coordinated infrastructure development while expanding broadband access nationwide.
Olabiyi emphasised that the success of the policy depends on a predictable and equitable access framework, warning that inconsistent pricing models and unclear access conditions could discourage investment and limit the benefits of infrastructure sharing.
He described the successful implementation of the Dig Once Policy as one of the reforms capable of transforming Nigeria’s telecommunications sector, particularly as broadband expansion remains a national priority under the National Broadband Plan.
According to him, “Infrastructure sharing succeeds only when access is governed by fairness, transparency, predictability and effective market oversight.”
The telecommunications expert further cautioned that an unfair access framework could allow infrastructure owners to create barriers through excessive pricing, restrictive commercial conditions or discriminatory practices, thereby frustrating the objectives of the Dig Once initiative.
He commended the NCC for pursuing a cost-based pricing framework, saying a transparent and objective methodology would boost investor confidence and provide certainty for infrastructure companies, mobile network operators, Internet Service Providers, fibre operators and other participants within Nigeria’s communications ecosystem.
Participants at the consultative forum reviewed the study’s interim findings and made recommendations on pricing methodology, implementation considerations and cost elements, with discussions focusing on ensuring efficient infrastructure deployment while protecting the interests of infrastructure providers, access seekers and consumers.
The stakeholder engagement is part of the NCC’s ongoing regulatory efforts to promote infrastructure sharing, expand broadband access and drive Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda through collaborative policy development.
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