NCC, Stakeholders Moves to End Repeated Road Excavation for Fibre Deployment

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and other industry stakeholders, has intensified efforts to eliminate the recurring excavation of roads for fibre-optic deployment by developing a transparent, cost-based pricing framework for sharing underground telecommunications ducts under the Federal Government’s Dig Once Policy.

The initiative was unveiled at the Second Stakeholders’ Forum on the Consultancy Study for the Development of a Pricing Mechanism and Cost-Based Structure for Sharing Ducts under the Dig Once Policy, held in Abuja on Wednesday.

The proposed framework is expected to significantly reduce broadband deployment costs, promote infrastructure sharing, strengthen investor confidence, protect public infrastructure from repeated road excavation, and accelerate the nationwide rollout of fibre-optic networks.

The Dig Once Policy seeks to ensure that telecommunications ducts are installed whenever roads are constructed, rehabilitated or opened for maintenance, enabling multiple operators to deploy fibre through existing underground infrastructure rather than repeatedly excavating roads.

Opening the forum, the Director, of Policy Competition and Economic Analysis at the NCC, Ayuba Shuaibu, said the Commission engaged Silicon Base Limited in 2023 to undertake a consultancy study aimed at addressing one of the major gaps in the implementation of the draft Dig Once Policy—the absence of a structured pricing mechanism for shared telecommunications ducts.

According to him, while the Dig Once Policy itself remains in draft form, its successful implementation depends largely on establishing a transparent, economically sound and equitable framework governing access to shared underground infrastructure.

He explained that the initiative was conceived to reduce the cost and complexity of broadband deployment through coordinated civil works and the shared use of underground duct infrastructure.

“The Dig Once initiative is fundamentally aimed at reducing the cost and complexity of network deployment by promoting coordinated civil works and the shared use of underground duct infrastructure,” Shuaibu said.

He noted that without a clearly defined pricing mechanism, the objectives of efficiency, fairness and investment protection would be difficult to achieve.

“The study seeks to provide a structured and cost-based framework that ensures equitable access while supporting sustainable infrastructure development across the telecommunications sector,” he stated.

Shuaibu recalled that valuable contributions received during the first stakeholders’ forum had shaped the direction of the consultancy, adding that the second forum marked a critical stage where stakeholders would review the consultant’s findings, interrogate its assumptions and evaluate the proposed pricing methodology before the framework is finalised.

He reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to an inclusive and transparent consultative process that balances the interests of infrastructure owners, access seekers and consumers, while encouraging continued investment in broadband infrastructure.

“Our objective is to arrive at a pricing structure that balances the interests of infrastructure providers, access seekers and ultimately the consumers, while also encouraging continued investment in broadband infrastructure,” he added.

Delivering the keynote address, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Nadungu Gagare, described the Dig Once Policy as one of the Federal Government’s most strategic interventions for expanding Nigeria’s digital infrastructure and accelerating broadband penetration.

He said the policy was designed to reduce the cost of broadband expansion, prevent unnecessary road excavation and ensure more efficient utilisation of national resources.

“The Dig Once Policy remains one of the Federal Government’s strategic interventions for accelerating fibre infrastructure development, reducing the cost of broadband expansion, preventing unnecessary road excavation and promoting efficient use of national resources,” Gagare said.

He stressed, however, that the policy’s full benefits could only be realised if supported by a pricing framework that is transparent, commercially viable, equitable and capable of encouraging infrastructure sharing.

According to him, the proposed framework would strengthen investor confidence while safeguarding public interest by creating a predictable environment for infrastructure investment.

“Our collective objective should be to establish a framework that promotes collaboration rather than duplication, efficiency rather than waste, and sustainable growth rather than short-term gains,” he said.

In his keynote presentation, Managing Director of Dimension Data Nigeria, Olugbenga Olabiyi, represented by the company’s Lead Solutions Architect and Head of IT Systems and Infrastructure, Akpevwe Egbelughe, described broadband infrastructure as the foundation of Nigeria’s digital economy.

He observed that modern sectors including education, healthcare, financial services, agriculture, governance, commerce, public safety and national security increasingly depend on affordable, resilient and accessible broadband connectivity.

According to him, emerging technologies such as Fifth Generation (5G) networks, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, Internet of Things, smart cities, edge computing and data centres would require massive expansion of fibre infrastructure across the country.

Despite the progress recorded by Nigeria’s telecommunications industry, he noted that broadband deployment continues to face significant structural challenges, particularly the high cost of civil engineering works associated with laying fibre infrastructure.

He explained that the construction of ducts, conduits, manholes and related passive infrastructure typically accounts for the largest share of broadband deployment costs.

Drawing from international experience, Egbelughe said infrastructure sharing has become a globally accepted strategy for reducing deployment costs, encouraging investment and accelerating broadband rollout.

He described Nigeria’s adoption of the Dig Once Policy as timely and transformational.

“The principle behind the Dig Once Policy is simple but transformative. Whenever roads are constructed, rehabilitated or opened for maintenance, provisions should simultaneously be made for telecommunications ducts and conduit systems,” he said.

According to him, embedding appropriately sized duct infrastructure during road construction would enable multiple operators to deploy fibre through existing ducts without repeatedly excavating public roads.

He identified the benefits of the approach to include lower capital expenditure, faster network deployment, protection of public infrastructure, reduced traffic disruption, improved urban planning and accelerated broadband penetration, particularly in underserved and unserved communities.

Egbelughe, however, warned that infrastructure sharing can only succeed where access is governed by fairness, transparency, predictability and effective regulatory oversight.

He noted that without equitable access rules, infrastructure owners could create barriers through excessive pricing or discriminatory access conditions, thereby undermining competition and discouraging investment.

He therefore commended the NCC for initiating the development of a cost-based pricing framework, describing it as a critical step toward balancing investor protection with affordability for access seekers.

According to him, the framework should enable infrastructure owners to recover investments and earn reasonable returns while ensuring operators can deploy networks at sustainable costs that encourage competition, innovation and wider broadband expansion.

He added that the framework derives legal backing from Section 108(1) of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, which empowers the Commission to approve tariffs and charges for services provided by holders of individual licences.

Beyond pricing, Egbelughe advocated the establishment of a National Passive Infrastructure Registry to provide comprehensive information on available ducts, ownership, occupancy levels and spare capacity across the country.

He also proposed the creation of a digital infrastructure marketplace where operators could request, reserve, lease and manage duct capacity through a transparent and standardised platform.

According to him, digitalising infrastructure access would improve investment planning, minimise disputes, reduce delays and eliminate unnecessary duplication of infrastructure.

He further called for stronger collaboration among federal and state governments, infrastructure providers, telecommunications operators, road agencies, urban planning authorities, industry associations and development partners to ensure successful implementation of the policy.

He emphasised that the future pricing framework should also incorporate service-level obligations covering provisioning timelines, maintenance responsibilities, fault management, dispute resolution and operational transparency.

Summing up his presentation, he urged stakeholders to embrace a shared vision of broadband infrastructure as a national asset capable of serving multiple operators and generations of digital innovation.

“Our vision should be simple: Build Once. Share Many Times. Connect Everyone,” he declared.

According to the NCC, the Second Stakeholders’ Forum represents another major milestone in developing a fair, transparent and sustainable pricing framework for shared telecommunications duct infrastructure in Nigeria.

The Commission said the process would support efficient broadband deployment, reduce duplication of civil works, encourage investment, protect infrastructure owners, provide equitable access for operators and strengthen confidence across the telecommunications industry.

The forum also presented interim findings of the consultancy study, introduced the proposed cost-based pricing methodology for shared ducts, and provided stakeholders with an opportunity to interrogate the study’s assumptions, review its outputs and make recommendations that will shape the final implementation framework.

Industry stakeholders expressed optimism that the successful implementation of the Dig Once Policy, supported by a transparent cost-based pricing mechanism, would lower broadband deployment costs, accelerate fibre rollout, improve digital inclusion and position Nigeria to achieve the targets of its National Broadband Plan while strengthening its ambition of becoming Africa’s leading digital economy.

The following are photographs from the event;