FG Urged to Rethink Nigeria’s Digital Infrastructure Strategy to Boost Investments  

Stories by Emma Okonji

Industry stakeholders have called on the federal government (FG), as well as industry regulators and the private sector players to rethink Nigeria’s digital infrastructure strategy in order to attract investments and drive digital innovation.

They made the call in Lagos during the Telecom Sector Sustainability Forum (TSSF 7.0), hosted by Business Remarks, a leading industry platform.

The Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, said the Nigerian telecom industry has performed very well in its over 25 years of existence. He therefore called on federal government and the private sector to invest more in digital infrastructure that would drive investments and innovation.

The Executive Secretary and Chief Operating Officer of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Ajibola Olude, called for renewed focus on talent development, rural inclusion, and infrastructure investment to drive the country’s digital economy.

In her opening remarks, the convener of the forum and Managing Editor of Business Remarks, Mrs. Bukola Olanrewaju, noted that the forum was convened to move beyond rhetoric and proffer actionable solutions to Nigeria’s persistent digital infrastructure deficit.

In his keynote presentation, the Chief Executive Officer of Digital Realty Nigeria and Co-chair of the National Cloud Initiative Technical Working Group, Ikechukwu Nnamani, raised the alarm that “Nigeria is currently losing an estimated $3.5 billion annually to foreign cloud service providers, as some government agencies have adopted cloud services over the past five years with their data hosted outside the country.

He disclosed that over 80 per cent of Nigeria’s sovereign data is currently hosted outside the country, describing it as a significant national risk.

In his presentation, the Chief Operating Officer, WTES Group, Mr. Chidi Ajuzie, noted that broadband penetration remained around 57 per cent despite mobile penetration of about 90 per cent.

He identified capital starvation, right of way crisis, and regulatory fragmentation as major obstacles to fibre rollout.