The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has released a Draft Spectrum Roadmap for the Communications Sector covering the period from 2025 to 2030, outlining how radio frequency spectrum will be managed and allocated to support Nigeria’s digital and economic ambitions over the next five years.
According to the Commission, the roadmap is designed to align spectrum planning with key national frameworks, including the National Broadband Plan and the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS). The broader objective is to drive inclusive digital growth, strengthen broadband penetration, and support long-term economic development across the country.
At the core of the roadmap are four strategic pillars that will guide future spectrum decisions. The first pillar focuses on closing Nigeria’s digital divide by prioritising universal access, particularly for an estimated 23 million Nigerians living in 87 unserved and underserved clusters identified nationwide. The NCC says targeted spectrum allocation will play a critical role in extending connectivity to these communities.
The second pillar centres on enabling market-driven investment. Under this approach, the Commission plans to adopt more flexible spectrum policies that respond to industry demand while accommodating emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), satellite-based services, and direct-to-device connectivity.
Improving consumer experience forms the third pillar of the roadmap. The NCC intends to set minimum thresholds for data download speeds and strengthen Quality of Service (QoS) standards across both urban and rural areas, with the aim of delivering a more consistent and reliable user experience by 2030.
The fourth pillar promotes innovation through regulatory flexibility. The roadmap proposes the introduction of regulatory sandboxes and a general authorisation framework that would allow new technologies and use cases—such as autonomous systems, advanced space services, and experimental connectivity models—to be tested within a controlled regulatory environment.
The Commission also projects strong growth across the telecoms sector over the roadmap period. Active mobile subscriptions are expected to increase from 171.6 million in 2025 to approximately 220 million by 2030. During the same period, national mobile data traffic is forecast to nearly triple, rising from 11.9 exabytes to 31.7 exabytes. To support this expansion, the NCC plans to make additional spectrum available, including the 450 MHz and 600 MHz bands, commonly referred to as the second digital dividend.
From a technology perspective, the roadmap anticipates a gradual shift in network architecture. While 4G is expected to remain the dominant connectivity layer nationwide, 5G will increasingly serve as a high-capacity layer in urban centres, enabling advanced applications such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and other data-intensive digital services.
The NCC also highlighted the growing economic importance of the ICT sector. As of late 2024, ICT contributed 17.68 per cent to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product, with telecommunications accounting for 14.4 per cent. Since industry deregulation, spectrum allocation has helped attract more than $75 billion in telecom infrastructure investment.
Oversight of the roadmap will be provided by the National Frequency Management Council (NFMC), chaired by the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy. While the NFMC serves as the apex advisory body, the NCC will retain exclusive authority over spectrum licensing and management for the telecommunications sector. Implementation progress will be tracked through biannual updates and annual reviews to ensure transparency and accountability.
By 2030, the Commission envisions a Nigeria with widespread high-speed broadband access, inclusive digital innovation across sectors such as health and agriculture, and a stronger position as one of Africa’s leading digital economies.
