Nigeria Deploys 101,148 km Fibre Cable with Lagos Abuja Holding 18%
NCC data shows 101,148.36 km total fibre deployed but 18.35% concentrated in Lagos and Abuja as of July 2026.
Nigeria has deployed a total of 101,148.36 kilometres of fibre optic cable across its 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory as of July 2026 according to Nigerian Communications Commission data analyzed by Nairametrics.
The analysis published on July 9 2026 reveals that Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory together account for 18,559.83 km or 18.35 percent of the national total.
Deployment Breakdown
Lagos holds 11,586.70 km representing 11.46 percent while the FCT accounts for 6,973.13 km or 6.89 percent. The next highest states are Edo with 4,789.72 km Kano with 4,616.71 km and Rivers with 4,616.01 km. The lowest deployments appear in Bayelsa at 656.87 km and Ebonyi at 586.92 km. All figures come directly from the NCC state-by-state infrastructure data.
These numbers reflect ongoing private investments by telecommunications operators who spent more than N2.5 trillion in 2025 yet reveal persistent gaps in coverage.
Background and Prior Plans
The concentration follows years of uneven expansion under the National Broadband Plan 2020-2025. Earlier baseline estimates placed existing fibre at roughly 35,000 km before major expansion efforts began in 2024 and 2025. High and variable Right of Way charges by states continue to slow rollout despite a harmonized national rate of N145 per linear metre set by the National Economic Council in 2020 and inconsistently applied across states such as Ogun at N6,600 per metre.
NCC Executive Vice Chairman Dr. Aminu Maida has pointed to these fees as a key barrier to faster deployment.
Implications for Digital Growth
The urban concentration in Lagos and Abuja limits broadband backbone availability for 4G and 5G expansion fintech services data centres and broader digital economy goals outside major cities. Rural and less connected states face slower access to reliable infrastructure that underpins economic activity and innovation.
Private operators bear the cost of uneven state policies while users in low-deployment areas experience reduced connectivity options. The pattern reinforces an urban-rural digital divide even as total fibre length grows.
Project BRIDGE Expansion
The federal government has launched Project BRIDGE as a public-private partnership special purpose vehicle to deploy an additional 90,000 km of fibre targeting a national total of 120,000 to 125,000 km. The initiative secured a $200 million African Development Bank loan in April 2026 and a $100 million European Bank for Reconstruction and Development investment in February 2026. Details appear on the Federal Ministry of Communications Innovation and Digital Economy site.
Dr. Aminu Maida stated that high Right of Way fees remain a barrier despite the harmonized N145 per metre rate.
Stakeholders will watch how Project BRIDGE addresses state-level charges vandalism and construction damage while expanding beyond current urban hubs in the coming months.
