NCC pushes cost-based pricing to boost fibre sharing under dig....

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has intensified efforts to accelerate broadband expansion by seeking a transparent, fair and commercially sustainable pricing framework for fibre infrastructure sharing under the Federal Government’s Dig-Once policy.

The Commission said the proposed cost-based pricing mechanism would reduce broadband deployment costs, encourage infrastructure sharing, strengthen investor confidence and fast-track Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda by ensuring equitable access to shared duct infrastructure.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ forum on developing a pricing mechanism and cost-based structure for sharing ducts built under the Dig-Once policy in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Mr. Nadungu Gagare, said the engagement was crucial to achieving the objectives of the policy.

According to him, the framework would provide government, investors, infrastructure providers and other stakeholders with an opportunity to jointly develop a pricing model that balances commercial interests with public benefits.

“The Dig-Once policy remains one of the government’s strategic interventions for accelerating fibre infrastructure development. It will reduce the cost of broadband expansion, prevent unnecessary road excavation and promote efficient use of national resources.

“Its full potential can only be realised when supported by a pricing framework that is transparent, commercially viable, equitable and encourages infrastructure sharing,” Gagare said.

He described digital infrastructure as the backbone of innovation, digital inclusion, economic diversification and national competitiveness, noting that every kilometre of fibre deployed would connect more communities, create jobs, empower businesses and expand economic opportunities.

Gagare urged stakeholders to contribute practical recommendations that would strengthen investor confidence while safeguarding public interest, reaffirming the ministry’s commitment to implementing policies that would accelerate broadband rollout across the country.

Earlier, the Director of Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis at the NCC, Mr. Ayuba Shuaibu, said the success of the Dig-Once initiative depends largely on establishing an economically sound and transparent pricing framework for shared duct infrastructure.

He explained that the policy seeks to reduce the cost and complexity of network deployment through coordinated civil works and the shared use of underground ducts.

“Without a well-defined pricing mechanism, the objectives of efficiency, fairness and investment protection may not be fully realised.

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

Shuaibu added that the consultation would enable stakeholders to review the assumptions and models underpinning the study to ensure the final framework is practical and reflects realities within Nigeria’s telecommunications industry.

Also speaking, the Managing Director of Dimention Data Ltd, Mr Olugbenga Olabiyi, represented by the firm’s Lead Solutions Architect and IT Systems and Infrastructure specialist, Mr. Akpevwe Egbelughe, said civil engineering works remain the biggest cost component of broadband infrastructure deployment.

He noted that the construction of ducts, sub-ducts, conduits, manholes and poles accounts for the largest share of broadband investment globally, making passive infrastructure the most expensive and least replicable aspect of network expansion.

According to him, infrastructure sharing has become a globally accepted strategy for lowering deployment costs, improving operational efficiency, encouraging investment and accelerating broadband penetration.