The event, scheduled to be held at Radisson Blu Hotel Ikeja on April 16, is the 8th edition of the Policy Implementation Assisted Forum centred on the theme, “Accelerating Nigeria’s Digital Backbone: Dig Once Policy, Project BRIDGE and Strategies for Effective Fibre Deployment.”

The gathering comes at a time when the Federal Government is pushing its $2 billion Project BRIDGE to stretch Nigeria’s fibre coverage from about 35,000 kilometres to 125,000 kilometres by 2030.

Many in the sector say this target cannot be met without fixing how infrastructure projects are handled. Hence, the discussion, which is focused on the Dig-Once approach, means laying fibre ducts at the same time roads, rail lines and other public works are built or repaired.

Stakeholders say this simple step could reduce costs and reduce repeated digging.

Data from the Nigerian Communications Commission shows operators recorded more than 50,000 fibre cuts in 2024, with over 60% happening during road construction and repairs. Each incident caused service disruption and forced companies to spend heavily on fixes.

In Lagos alone, operators said they spent more than N5 billion last year repairing damaged fibre lines. That money, they argue, could have gone into expanding networks instead.

Again, companies still deal with high Right of Way charges. Road works often happen without coordination. In many cases, roads are dug up repeatedly to lay cables that could have been installed earlier.

Organisers say the forum will bring all sides together. Government agencies, telecom operators, infrastructure firms and state authorities are expected to agree on a common framework and practical steps for rollout.

Omobayo Azeez of Business Metrics Limited believes the stakes are high. He said Nigeria is not fully benefiting from the several undersea cables already connected to its shores because inland fibre remains weak.

“The Project BRIDGE initiative should excite everyone because of ambitious targets. But for those who understand the operating terrain, and why it took the industry over 20 years to achieve around 35,000km of fibre network that the country currently operates for broadband connectivity.

“The project calls for a major shift in execution approach with the adoption of a National Dig-Once Policy as the starting point.

“PIAFo, now in its 8th edition, is again serving as the viable platform for representatives from government ministries and agencies, senior telecom executives, infrastructure companies, data centre operators, equipment manufacturers, state governments, and industry associations to chart the way forward.”

The forum will include keynote speeches, panel sessions and closed-door talks, and with a goal to agree on regulations that can be applied across federal, state and local levels, and set timelines that can be followed.

PIAFo 8.0 is a chance to fix long-standing problems that have slowed Nigeria’s broadband growth for years.

On Starlink’s portal, neighbourhoods such as Victoria Island, Ikoyi, Lagos Island, Surulere, and several estates in Abuja now carry a bold “Sold Out” notice. 

Users attempting to subscribe are prompted to pay a deposit to secure a place in line. A message displayed to applicants in Chevyville Estate, Lekki, reads: “Starlink service is currently at capacity in your area. However, the good news is you can still place a deposit now to reserve your spot on the waitlist and receive a notification as soon as service becomes available again.”

In November 2024, Starlink also suspended nationwide sales for almost eight months, pointing to bandwidth shortages and unresolved disputes with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) over tariff approvals. 

New activations only resumed in June 2025, after the company secured regulatory clearance and upgraded parts of its infrastructure.

An engineer working with Starlink, who spoke to TechCabal, explained the reasoning behind the pause: “It happens when the area cannot take a new customer due to its designed capacity at the time. This also ensures optimal network connectivity for the other users within the same geographical area.” 

Expanding this capacity, he added, often requires either new satellite launches or regulatory permissions to build more ground infrastructure.

High Costs and Shrinking Base

Starlink’s service has become more expensive since its 2022 entry into Nigeria. The monthly subscription has climbed from around ₦38,000 to nearly ₦56,000 by 2025, with hardware kits priced between ₦300,000 and ₦670,000 depending on the model. The company blamed the naira’s depreciation, operating costs, and compliance with NCC regulations.

The hikes triggered strong complaints from users. In October 2024, the NCC sanctioned Starlink for unauthorised increases, noting breaches of Sections 108 and 111 of the Nigerian Communications Act. The regulator forced a rollback from ₦75,000 to ₦38,000 monthly before eventually approving moderated adjustments in early 2025.

But the damage was already visible. NCC data shows active Starlink subscribers fell from 65,564 in Q4 2024 to 59,509 in Q1 2025, a 9% drop and the company’s first decline in Nigeria since launch. Analysts pointed to high tariffs, economic hardship, and service delays from capacity freezes as key drivers of the fall.

Network Quality Under Scrutiny

Even with over 6.2 million global users as of July 2025 and more than 900 satellites launched this year, Starlink’s speeds in Nigeria remain below regional averages. Reports place its Nigerian download speeds at 49.6 Mbps, significantly lower than Botswana’s 106.4 Mbps. Experts attribute the gap to fewer satellites serving Nigeria, overcrowded cells in major cities, and a limited number of terrestrial Points of Presence.

Alternatives Emerging

While Starlink remains Nigeria’s largest satellite internet provider, its difficulties have opened room for competitors. YahClick, supported by Nigerian ISPs, offers plans from ₦25,000 per month. Tizeti has rolled out solar-powered broadband at ₦5,000 monthly, targeting underserved communities. Eutelsat Konnect, though pricier at $18,500 per month, promises up to 100 Mbps speeds.

Starlink’s issues in Nigeria is a pattern across Africa. Countries such as Kenya, Ghana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe have also faced pauses in urban areas where demand has outpaced available capacity. Yet, Nigeria’s sheer scale, driven by remote work, e-learning, and video streaming, means that congestion here poses a sharper challenge.

Thousands of Nigerian households are now on waiting lists, uncertain when—or if—Starlink will open the door again.

This is the steepest decline among Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the country, pointing to the widening gap between the promises of broadband expansion and the challenging market realities these providers face.

Between Q3 2024 and Q1 2025, FibreOne’s subscriber base fell from 33,010 to just over 19,000, according to data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). 

This happened as ISPs collectively shed over 18,000 users and 18 companies exited the market. While Starlink declined by 9% and Spectranet by 2.08%, FibreOne’s near-collapse stands out.

Several forces converged to drive this drop, chief among them being Nigeria’s worsening economic conditions. A 50% increase in telecom tariffs approved in February 2025, coupled with rising diesel prices, FX imbalance, and expensive infrastructure, has pushed fixed broadband beyond the reach of many households and businesses. For FibreOne and others, this has turned retention into an uphill battle.

Mobile networks, meanwhile, have stayed untouched. MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile collectively hold over 141.9 million internet users as of April 2025. Their edge? Affordability, accessibility, and increasing forays into Fibre to the Home (FTTH), where they’re now challenging traditional ISPs with flexible pricing and wider reach.

But FibreOne’s downfall exposes a lack of strategy, poor adaptability, and the absence of policy support. Telecom analyst Jide Awe told TechCabal: “ISPs like FibreOne are feeling the full weight of Nigeria’s economic realities.”

Awe believes there’s still a path forward if ISPs adapt. “They should consider bundling services, target underserved sectors like education and healthcare, and invest in solar solutions to cut operating costs,” he said.

FibreOne is not alone in this struggle, but it may be the most visible casualty of an ecosystem in retreat. While mobile data has become the default for most Nigerians, the downside is becoming more obvious, mobile internet cannot handle the demands of e-learning, telemedicine, enterprise networking, or institutional-scale connectivity.

Diseye Isoun, CEO of Content Oasis, offered a more structural critique: “At the end of the day, ISPs are treated as peripheral, but they are critical to the broadband ecosystem—especially for schools, hospitals, and local businesses. What’s missing is policy—not just investment—that ensures ISPs can serve strategic access points.”

Isoun advocates a model inspired by Brazil’s Telebras—government-backed partnerships with vetted ISPs to guarantee broadband in priority sectors. It’s a contrast to Nigeria’s market-driven approach, which continues to choke out smaller ISPs and leaves critical institutions under-connected.

The data reflects this squeeze. In Q4 2023, Nigeria had 252 licensed ISPs; only 106 were active. By Q1 2025, licensed ISPs had dropped to 234, with just 127 operational. The gap between those with licences and those who can afford to stay in business is increasing.

The situation with Starlink further complicates matters. Initially celebrated as a game-changer for remote connectivity, Starlink has faced underwhelming adoption. Its monthly fees rose from ₦38,000 to ₦57,000 in early 2025, pricing out average users. 

A Starlink retailer confirmed the retreat: “Many Nigerians are cutting down on their subscriptions. I know a couple of people who have scaled down on the subs.”

As the broadband market thins out, what remains is a fragmented sector, over-reliant on mobile operators, with serious implications for national digital capacity.

Nnamdi Richards, a telecom expert, suggested structural reform: “We may need a solution similar to what was done with the banking sector: mergers, acquisitions, IPOs, SEC listings. That could help stabilise some of them financially.”

He also pointed to seasonal risks ISPs now face: “We’re in the rainy season now, and lightning strikes and flooded communities. This is a nightmare for small ISPs without the capacity to cope.”

Without urgent reforms, strategic partnerships, and smarter pricing, Nigeria risks sidelining an important pillar of its digital sustainability.