The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has unveiled a Draft Spectrum Roadmap for the Communications Sector for the years 2025 to 2030. This proposal establishes a strategic framework for the effective management and distribution of radio frequency spectrum over the next five years.
The primary objective of the roadmap is to align spectrum policy with the National Broadband Plan and the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), aiming to drive inclusive digital development and sustainable economic growth.
The NCC has based the roadmap on four strategic pillars to guide future spectrum management decisions:
- Bridging the Digital Divide: The first pillar focuses on achieving universal access for approximately 23 million Nigerians living in 87 unserved and underserved regions throughout the country.
- Encouraging Market-Driven Investment: The second pillar promotes flexible spectrum policies that cater to the changing demands of industry players while also acknowledging emerging technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and satellite direct-to-device connectivity.
- Enhancing Consumer Experience: The third pillar aims to establish minimum data download speed standards and improve the Quality of Service (QoS) in both urban and rural settings by 2030.
- Fostering Innovation: The fourth pillar will introduce regulatory sandboxes and a general authorisation framework, allowing for the controlled testing of new technologies and ideas, such as autonomous vehicles and advanced space services.
The NCC anticipates significant growth in the telecommunications sector during the roadmap period, projecting that active mobile subscriptions will increase from 171.6 million in 2025 to around 220 million by 2030. National mobile data traffic is expected to soar from 11.9 exabytes to 31.7 exabytes.
To facilitate this growth, the NCC plans to release additional spectrum bands, including the 450 MHz and 600 MHz frequencies, known as the second digital dividend.
In terms of technology evolution, the roadmap indicates that 4G will continue to serve as Nigeria’s primary connectivity framework. In comparison, 5G will increasingly serve as a high-capacity layer in major urban areas, supporting advanced digital services such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and other data-intensive applications.
The NCC also emphasises the growing economic impact of the ICT sector, which contributed 17.68 per cent to Nigeria’s GDP as of late 2024, with telecommunications accounting for 14.4 per cent of that figure. Since the sector’s deregulation, spectrum allocation has facilitated over US$75 billion in telecommunications infrastructure investment.
By 2030, the Commission envisions achieving universal access to high-speed broadband, fostering inclusive digital innovation in sectors such as health and agriculture, and positioning Nigeria as a leading digital economy in Africa.
The National Frequency Management Council (NFMC), led by the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, will oversee the implementation of this roadmap. The NCC will maintain exclusive control over telecom spectrum licensing and management, with progress tracked through biannual updates and annual reviews to ensure transparency and effective execution.
