By Vera Osokpo
Nigeria’s quest to build a $1 trillion economy by 2030 will only be realised if broadband penetration is deepened to empower businesses and drive productivity across all sectors, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said.
The Commission’s Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Aminu Maida, made this known at the weekend during the 2026 Annual Conference of the Finance and Business Online Publishers (FiBOP) Association held at Orchids Hotel, Lekki, Lagos.
The two-day conference was themed “Unlocking Nigeria’s Economic Potential: Taxation, Industry, Insurance, Fintech, Trade and Investment as Catalysts for Nigeria’s $1 Trillion Vision” and brought together regulators, industry players and financial journalists.
Dr. Maida, who was represented by the Senior Manager, Regulatory Services, Mrs. Yetunde Adeyemo, identified market expansion, improved productivity and innovation enablement as the three critical pathways through which broadband will power the $1 trillion economy ambition.
According to him, broadband remains the common platform for scaling all sectors of the economy, enabling a trader in Lagos, a farmer in Nasarawa, a fashion designer in Aba, a content creator in Kano and a software developer in Kaduna to reach customers, receive payments, advertise products and manage logistics beyond their immediate localities.
“Without broadband, many businesses remain local. With broadband, they can become national, regional, and global,” he said.
He explained that broadband improves productivity by reducing transaction costs, shortening service delivery time, improving inventory management and supporting remote work and digital records, particularly for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Maida added that the digital economy thrives where developers, startups, researchers and entrepreneurs have affordable and reliable access to data, noting that innovation in fintech, edtech, agritech, healthtech and creative technology depends on robust communications infrastructure including fibre, towers, satellites and spectrum.
Beyond economic growth, he highlighted broadband’s role in enhancing digital inclusion and strengthening public service delivery.
“Digital government services depend on connectivity. Education platforms, emergency communications, health systems, identity services, security coordination and public records are all improved when citizens are connected,” he stated.
The NCC chief called for deliberate action on digital inclusion, noting that market forces alone will not connect every community.
He cited the Commission’s Digital Awareness Programme, which equips secondary schools with ICT resources and internet connectivity, disclosing that since 2006, over 300 schools across the six geopolitical zones have benefited.
“The journey to a trillion-dollar economy begins with people, especially young people. If Nigeria’s youth are digitally skilled, digitally connected, and digitally confident, they will become creators of value rather than mere consumers of technology,” he said.
Despite the prospects, Maida acknowledged challenges facing broadband expansion including high Right-of-Way charges, infrastructure vandalism, fibre cuts, multiple taxation, high deployment costs, power constraints and uneven rural coverage.
He called for harmonized Right-of-Way processes, one-stop approval systems, dig-once policies and improved collaboration with state governments.
“Telecommunications infrastructure is critical national infrastructure. Networks are no longer optional facilities. They are the roads, bridges, and power lines of the digital age,” he warned.
He urged stakeholders to collaborate in creating an enabling environment for deployment, investing in coverage and quality, deepening fibre reach and protecting telecom infrastructure as a shared national asset.
Addressing FiBOP members directly, he said: “You shape narratives, interpret data, explain policy, and help the public understand the link between connectivity and prosperity. In an economy increasingly driven by information, credible publishing is itself a form of infrastructure.”
Maida assured that the NCC will continue to promote competition, protect consumers, encourage investment and support innovation to strengthen the resilience of Nigeria’s communications sector.