Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovations and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, has noted that it will about $2bn to lay an adequate network of fibre optics cables across Nigeria to enable accelerated deployment of Fifth Generation (5G) technology.
Speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s programme, ‘Politics Today’ on Tuesday, Tijani noted that despite 5G launch and subsequent deployment in sparse locations in Nigeria, rollout has been slow, and infrastructure that supports the advanced technology is not yet everywhere in the country.
He said it would cost about $2bn to sufficiently wire Nigeria with a fibre optic cable network required for the seamless experience of the 5G network.
5G Technology is particularly significant for developing countries because it has the capacity to speed up progression, inclusion and development in education and healthcare services through virtual digital enablement.
It also delivers efficient and real-time connectivity and verification interfaces for financial transactions, locally and globally and has been proven to facilitate business in the gaming industry.
“The infrastructure that drives 5G is not something that is across the nation. So, if you are subscribe to 5G and you move into locations where the infrastructure cannot support it, of course, the quality will drop. 5G exists in Nigeria and there are telcos with the licence,” the minister said.
Tijani said government is doing everything possible to increase the deployment of fibre optics cables in Nigeria.
“We are about 35 to 40 kilometres right now and the goal is to go to 95,000 km,” he said. “It’s going to cost us roughly about $1.5bn to $2bn to wire the entirety of Nigeria.”
The Minister hoped that under his leadership, the Ministry would in the first four years of the President Bola Tinubu administration, achieve the aspiration of wiring Nigeria.
He said the current government wants to connect schools, hospitals, government offices and other vital places with fibre cables. “Because once we can do this, we start to see changes in the delivery of public services.”
Tijani said he is working on declaring telecoms infrastructure as critical national assets to prevent vandalism of infrastructure, which could be setback to federal government’s plans towards ubiquitous infrastructure deployment for national economic boost through ICT.
