Reducing the cost of broadband deployment and eliminating repeated road excavations have emerged as key priorities in Nigeria’s digital infrastructure drive, prompting the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC to advance plans for a transparent, cost-based framework for sharing underground telecommunications ducts.
The Commission reaffirmed its commitment to the collaborative implementation of the Dig Once Policy during the Second Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum on Developing a Pricing Mechanism and Cost-Based Structure for Sharing Ducts Built Under the Policy, held at its Annex Office in Mbora, Abuja.
The forum brought together representatives of federal and state government institutions, telecommunications operators, infrastructure companies, industry associations, development partners and other stakeholders to review the interim findings of the study and contribute to the development of a transparent and equitable framework for sharing underground duct infrastructure.
Speaking at the event, the NCC’s Director of Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis, Mr. Ayuba Shuaibu, said the consultative process reflects the Commission’s commitment to an open, transparent and inclusive regulatory approach that accommodates the interests of infrastructure providers, network operators, public institutions and consumers.
He explained that the proposed framework is intended to promote infrastructure sharing, improve the utilisation of existing assets, reduce broadband deployment costs and accelerate the expansion of telecommunications infrastructure across the country.
According to Shuaibu, the study seeks to establish a fair and transparent pricing mechanism for sharing underground ducts installed under Nigeria’s Dig Once Policy, which encourages the installation of telecommunications ducts during road construction and rehabilitation projects to support future fibre deployment without repeated excavation.
“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 solution-oriented contributions that will strengthen the final outcomes of this study,” he said.
He added that recommendations and observations from stakeholders would be reviewed and incorporated into the final report to ensure the framework is practical, commercially sustainable and responsive to industry realities.
Delivering the keynote presentation, the Managing Director of Dimension Data Limited and consultant to the project, Mr. Olugbenga Olabiyi, described passive infrastructure such as ducts, conduits and manholes as among the most capital-intensive components of broadband network deployment.
He noted that infrastructure sharing has become a globally recognised strategy for lowering deployment costs, improving efficiency and accelerating broadband expansion.
Olabiyi said Nigeria’s adoption of the Dig Once Policy presents a significant opportunity to improve coordinated infrastructure deployment, minimise avoidable road excavations, maximise the use of existing infrastructure and expand broadband access nationwide.
He, however, stressed that the success of infrastructure sharing depends on a predictable, transparent and equitable access framework, warning that inconsistent pricing and unclear access conditions could discourage investment.
“For Nigeria, where broadband expansion remains a national priority under the National Broadband Plan, successful implementation of the Dig Once Policy could become one of the most impactful infrastructure reforms in our telecommunications history.
“However, infrastructure sharing succeeds only when access is governed by fairness, transparency, predictability and effective market oversight.
“Without an equitable access framework, owners of shared infrastructure may inadvertently or deliberately create barriers to entry through excessive pricing, restrictive commercial conditions or discriminatory access practices. Such outcomes would undermine the objectives of the Dig Once initiative and discourage investment rather than promote it,” he said.
Participants at the forum reviewed the study’s interim findings and made recommendations on the proposed pricing methodology, implementation strategy and cost elements, with discussions centred on ensuring that the framework promotes efficient infrastructure deployment while balancing the interests of infrastructure owners, access seekers and consumers.