The National Broadband Alliance for Nigeria (NBAN) has been launched by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to expand internet access across the country. This initiative is in line with Nigeria’s National Broadband Plan (2020-2025) and the Strategic Blueprint from the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy. The goals of NBAN include increasing broadband penetration, providing minimum data speeds in urban and rural areas, and boosting broadband investments. The initiative involves collaboration with various stakeholders such as state governments, schools, hospitals, telecom operators, and infrastructure companies to drive broadband expansion. Initial implementation will begin in eight states.
To support the initiative, the NCC has approved a tariff increase for telecom operators with the condition of improving service quality. Additionally, a roaming and spectrum-sharing agreement between MTN Nigeria and 9mobile has been approved to enhance network coverage. Airtel Nigeria also plans to expand its network and upgrade services.
Despite these efforts, challenges such as internet penetration rates, slow internet deployment, and industry issues like multiple taxation and infrastructure vandalism persist. The NCC believes that the NBAN initiative can help address these challenges by streamlining regulatory processes, incentivizing private-sector investments, and promoting public awareness campaigns to encourage broadband adoption.