IHS Towers, the leading tower company in Africa, and WIOCC, a prominent global telecom infrastructure provider, are currently in negotiations with the Lagos State Government to finalize a significant fiber duct initiative, aiming to complete a 6,000km fiber duct network. Furthermore, there are ambitious plans to expand this network to an extensive 36,000km, as disclosed by Olatunbosun Alake, the Lagos State Commissioner for Science and Technology.
The project, which began in 2020, encountered delays due to contractual disagreements between the Lagos State Government and the initial contractor, Western Telecoms and Engineering Services Limited. Alake refrained from delving into the details of the dispute.
He mentioned that the project’s management might soon transition to the Ministry of Science and Technology, although it currently falls outside his department’s jurisdiction.
Between 2020 and 2022, Western Telecoms had successfully installed 2,700km of fiber ducts and cables, securing connectivity agreements with leading telecom operators such as MTN Nigeria, Airtel, Liquid Telecom, MainOne, Dolphin Telecoms, Swift, and Spectranet. This infrastructure facilitated the connection of over 1,000 base station sites for MTN and Airtel to the fiber network.
Despite these achievements, the project did not meet its intended completion deadline in 2023. The initial phase of the 6,000km project, which was estimated to cost around $200 million, received funding from Fidelity Bank among other financial institutions. The financial details of the proposed expansion, to be financed by WIOCC and IHS Towers, were not disclosed by Alake.
A spokesperson for WIOCC confirmed the ongoing discussions but remained tight-lipped about the financial aspects of the deal, and IHS Towers has yet to comment on the matter.
Lagos, a bustling hub for over 521 startups and numerous multinational corporations, is in dire need of enhanced internet services to spur economic growth. Currently, with only 7,864.50 km of fiber deployed against a target of 36,000 km, the city faces challenges in providing high-speed internet access. The state government is keen on leveraging fiber ducts to safeguard this critical infrastructure and attract further investment.
This fiber duct initiative is part of Lagos State’s broader “Dig-Once” policy, introduced in 2020 to address the issue of inconsistent fiber deployment by telecom and utility companies. The policy aims to prevent the frequent damage to fiber cables caused by road construction and vandalism, thereby improving the reliability of telecom services.
The dig-once policy, which is already popular in regions like the Eurozone and the U.S., and is gaining momentum in emerging markets, focuses on installing durable ducts that can protect fiber cables for 20 to 25 years, with the ducts themselves lasting between 25 to 50 years. This approach offers a cost-effective and sustainable solution for future infrastructure needs.
Lagos is among several Nigerian states, including Osun State, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and Cross River State, adopting the dig-once policy. With a deadline set for 2027, coinciding with the end of the current administration, Alake emphasizes the urgency of completing the project within the stipulated timeframe.
