The Federal Government has completed about 60 per cent of its planned rollout of 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic infrastructure across Nigeria, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, has said.
Tijani disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during an event to mark Global Privacy Day, organised by the Nigerian Data Protection Commission. The fibre optic project, announced in August 2025, is a key part of the government’s strategy to expand internet access and drive digital inclusion nationwide.
According to the minister, funding for the nationwide fibre deployment has already been secured, placing the project on a firm footing. He said significant progress has been made, describing the initiative as one of the most advanced digital infrastructure programmes undertaken by the current administration.
Tijani noted that the fibre rollout aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s broader ambition to build a $1 trillion economy anchored on shared prosperity. He said digital infrastructure is critical to unlocking economic growth, improving service delivery, and expanding opportunities across sectors.
Beyond fibre optics, the minister outlined other major initiatives under the government’s digital agenda. These include the deployment of about 4,000 telecommunications towers in underserved and rural communities through the MilCAP programme, as well as plans to procure two new communication satellites to expand connectivity within Nigeria and across the sub-region.
He also highlighted investments in human capital, describing Nigeria’s technology talent accelerator programme as the largest of its kind, aimed at building a skilled workforce to support the country’s digital ambitions.
However, Tijani cautioned that rapid expansion of digital connectivity must be matched with strong safeguards to protect users. He stressed that trust is essential to the success of Nigeria’s digital economy, noting that data protection and privacy are central to sustaining public confidence.
“The success of our digital economy will depend not just on infrastructure and talent, but on trust,” he said, adding that the enactment of the Nigerian Data Protection Commission Act underscored the government’s commitment to safeguarding citizens’ data.
Earlier, the National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the NDPC, Vincent Olatunji, said the commission is strengthening enforcement of data protection laws through judicial training, partnerships with security agencies, and international cooperation. He added that the NDPC plans to publish a list of non-compliant tertiary institutions as part of its accountability drive.
The event also featured the presentation of a Global Data Protection Champion award to Tijani.
