NCC adopts cost-based duct sharing plan to deepen Nigeria’s broadband infrastructure
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has commenced implementation of the country’s Dig Once Policy, a key initiative designed to reduce deployment costs, eliminate unnecessary road excavations and expand nationwide digital connectivity.
This is in line with the commission’s renewed commitment to accelerate Nigeria’s broadband infrastructure development through effective collaborations. NCC’s director of Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis, Mr. Ayuba Shuaibu revealed this during the Second Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum on Developing 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.
Shuaibu noted that the new plan had become necessary to ensure infrastructure utilisation. The director said the consultation is a reflection of the commission’s commitment to an open, transparent and inclusive regulatory process that balances the interests of infrastructure owners, network operators, public institutions and consumers.
According to him, the proposed pricing framework is expected to encourage infrastructure sharing, improve asset utilisation, reduce the cost of broadband deployment and accelerate the expansion of telecommunications infrastructure nationwide. “The study seeks to establish a fair and transparent pricing mechanism for underground ducts installed under Nigeria’s Dig Once Policy, which requires telecommunications ducts to be laid during road construction and rehabilitation projects.
This approach enables future fibreoptic deployments without repeated road excavations, reducing infrastructure costs and public disruption. “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.
“We encourage frank, constructive and solutionoriented contributions that will strengthen the final outcomes of this study,” Shuaibu said, assuring that all observations and recommendations from stakeholders would be carefully reviewed and incorporated into the final report to ensure the framework remains practical, responsive to industry realities and commercially viable.
In his keynote presentation, managing director of Dimension Data Limited, Mr. Olugbenga Olabiyi pointed passive infrastructure to include ducts, conduits, manholes and related facilities as one of the most capital-intensive components of broadband network deployment globally.
Olabiyi, who is also a consultant on the project, noted that infrastructure sharing has become an internationally recognised strategy for reducing deployment costs, improving operational efficiency and accelerating broadband expansion. “Nigeria’s Dig Once Policy presents a unique opportunity to promote coordinated infrastructure deployment, minimise unnecessary road excavations, improve utilisation of existing assets and strengthen broadband penetration across the country.
“To achieve these objectives would require a predictable, transparent and equitable access framework, warning that inconsistent pricing models and unclear access conditions could discourage investment and weaken the benefits of infrastructure sharing.
“Successful implementation of the Dig Once Policy could rank among Nigeria’s most significant telecommunications infrastructure reforms, particularly as the country pursues the ambitious targets outlined in the National Broadband Plan,” Olabiyi said. He, however, warned that infrastructure sharing can only succeed where access is governed by fairness, transparency, predictability and effective regulatory oversight
