Persistent coordination failures, fragmented implementation and weak execution are undermining Nigeria’s efforts to expand its digital infrastructure, stakeholders have said, despite renewed government initiatives including Project BRIDGE.
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At the eighth edition of the Policy Implementation Assisted Forum (PIAFO) in Lagos, themed: “Accelerating Nigeria’s Digital Backbone: Dig-Once Policy, Project BRIDGE and Strategies for Effective Fibre Deployment,” stakeholders pointed to long-standing structural bottlenecks such as right-of-way constraints, infrastructure duplication and misalignment across levels of government.

They said the country faces a widening gap between policy design and execution at a time when fibre infrastructure is increasingly central to economic activity, digital services and national development.

Convener of the forum and Team Lead at Business Metrics Limited, Omobayo Azeez, said while government plans, including a proposed rollout of over 90,000 kilometres of fibre under Project BRIDGE, reflect ambition, implementation challenges remain unresolved.
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He cited persistent issues including fibre cuts, weak coordination among stakeholders and delays in aligning infrastructure planning across federal, state and local levels.
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Stakeholders also highlighted the slow progress of the National Dig-Once Policy, first advanced in 2022, which is intended to reduce repeated road excavation and enable coordinated infrastructure deployment.

President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Tony Emoekpere, said the sector is not lacking in policy frameworks but continues to struggle with execution.

He noted that infrastructure deployment remains “fragmented, inefficient and unnecessarily duplicative,” with repeated road excavations increasing costs and exposing networks to avoidable damage. He added that aligning road construction with fibre rollout would reduce costs and improve service delivery.

However, industry players also acknowledged internal constraints. Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, said commercial interests among operators continue to limit infrastructure sharing, even where collaboration could reduce duplication and costs.
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‎He noted that while stakeholders face common challenges, competition often affects willingness to co-deploy or share existing assets.
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Stakeholders further pointed to misalignment between federal policy direction and state-level priorities. Emoekpere said many state governments treat telecom infrastructure deployment as a source of internally generated revenue, creating tension with the long-term investment horizon required for broadband expansion.

Director of Strategic Business Initiatives at ipNX Nigeria Limited, Olusola Teniola, said implementation of the dig-once framework remains uneven across states, with additional charges and differing interpretations weakening its intended impact. He noted that this has contributed to a fragmented system where operators either bypass shared infrastructure models or resort to self-provisioning.

Raising concerns about regulatory coordination, Head of Regulation and Public Affairs at FibreOne, Kehinde Joda, said agencies often operate independently, issuing conflicting requirements that slow deployment. He added that obtaining permits can take longer than actual installation, while enforcement challenges persist even after approvals are granted.

Participants also identified gaps, including multiple permits issued for the same routes, the absence of a shared infrastructure database and weak enforcement mechanisms to protect existing fibre assets.
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From an economic standpoint, stakeholders reiterated that fibre infrastructure underpins key sectors including finance, healthcare, education and cloud services.

According to the Director of Solutions Architecture at Equinix, Oluwasayo Oshadami, expanding fibre networks would increase data usage, support data centre growth and create jobs across the digital ecosystem.
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Stakeholders warned that delays in infrastructure deployment could constrain Nigeria’s ability to compete in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence and digital services, which depend on reliable connectivity.
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They said that without stronger alignment among government, regulators and industry players, as well as improved coordination and execution, Nigeria risks missing broader economic gains linked to digital connectivity, including productivity growth and expanded access to services.