Nigeria, World Bank Eye $3b For 120,000km Fibre Optic Cables

The Federal Government and the World Bank are targeting about $3billion to fund additional 120,000km fibre optic cables to leap frog broadband infrastructures and connectivity.

According to the Minister of Communications, Innovations and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, the initiative also involved stakeholders from the private sector and it is expected to be delivered within the next three years.

Speaking at the Transcorp Hotel, Abuja, during a stakeholders’ engagement titled “Broadband For All”, organised by the Ministry of Communications in conjunction with the World Bank, Dr Tijani said it had become imperative to seek investments in the nation’s Digital Backbone to facilitate access at affordable prices to the digital space for all Nigerians.

“We are here with critical stakeholders on how to attract investments and fund our broadband infrastructures. I’m sure everybody that is listening to me probably understands that now we cannot do without technology on internet, so, we all need quality access regardless of our location.

“There’s a need for us to invest in that databank. So it’s the kind of thing that we call the telecommunications infrastructure, or in some cases, we call it fibre optic cables. So there’s actually a cable that helped us make it possible for internet to happen,” Dr Tijani said.

He said at the moment Nigeria had laid about 3,035km fiber optic cables, but about 120,000km fiber optic cables would be required for Nigerians to have quality and efficient access to the internet and other digital services irrespective of their locations.

He said in terms of finances, the country would require about $3billion to fix the infrastructures, stating that through the World Bank, and other development finance institutions and the private sector, there is hope that the funds would be raised within the next two or three years.

The World Bank Regional Director, (Infrastructure) West and Central Africa, Mr Franz Drees Gross, said the first phase of the project would involve laying 95,000km fiber optic cables across Nigeria, saying it would immediately improve access and digital services content in the country.

Gross who described Nigeria digital ecosystem as vibrant, said the World Bank is deeply involved and interested in supporting Nigeria to raise the needed funds for the project.

Gross said: “We plan to set up a Digital National Broadband Fund and to roll out about 95,000 kilometers of what we call middle mile cable. So that’s the terrestrial cable in the territory of Nigeria to bring broadband to more parts of the country right now.

“I think Nigeria has about 35,000 kilometers of broadband cable. The idea is to add another 95,000 on top of that, and what we’re discussing with the government is, well, what’s the best way to finance that?

“How could you set that up? How could you release some of the funding that’s available in-country using perhaps a universal service provision fund (USP F) and other instruments? And how can the World Bank provide technical assistance and if needed, perhaps some financing for that?

“I just want to say rolling out fiber is just part of the problem. What you want is fiber to bring low cost digital access all over the country. You want to at the same time, invest in digital skills, so that people have the wherewithal to get online and to use effectively and then generate digital content.

“I mean, Nigeria has a very impressive digital ecosystem, a very vibrant digital ecosystem in Lagos. You guys could be the hub for exporting digital services to all of West Africa.

“During the session we touched on some of the comment. We were more broadly looking beyond Nigeria to look at Western Central Africa. Right now about 80per cent of the population in western Central Africa, lives within range of a 4G signal, but only about 40per cent actually connected to digital broadband. So what explains the difference? Why is it that those 40per cent live within reach of the signal and they don’t connect? The first issue is cost. The cost of a data package the basic data package exceeds you know what households can pay for.

“Then there’s device affordability, you want to get a mobile device that’s internet-ready, that can get you online. The second thing is, even if people get online, sometimes they say, well, I don’t see content that’s relevant to me, relevant to what I want to know. And that’s where that digital ecosystem in Nigeria comes in.

“You want an ecosystem that generates the digital content that people want to access; you need public services digitized and online. So people like you are like all of us. Go online and do our government services online. And third, you need those skills. You need basic digital literacy for everybody. And then you need more deeper technical skills to service that, oh, they should have

“I mean, Nigeria could be an exporter of digital services just like you’re an exporter of Nollywood. I mean, everybody wants Nigerian movies. There’s no reason why people shouldn’t be using digital content, digital services and digital products produced in Nigeria, right.”