From left: Deputy Director, Huawei Business Environment/Affairs Nigeria, Dr. Nihinlola Mary Fafore; Head, Spectrum Administration Department, NCC, Engr. Atiku Lawal; Head, Fixed Networks and Converged Services NCC, Engr. Gidado Maigana Ahmed; Head Spectrum Assignment of the Commission, Mr. Abubakar Hammanyaji; Country Lead, Digital Access Programme, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office FCDO, Mr. Idongesit Udo; Head, Spectrum Planning, NCC, Dr. Joseph Emeshili at the Stakeholder Engagement on Spectrum Roadmap 2025 – 2030, Guidelines for the Use of the 60 GHz For Multi Gigabit Wireless Systems and the Guidelines for the Use of the Lower Part of the 6 GHz Band for Wifi-6 in Nigeria held at the Auditorium, Communications and Digital Economy Complex, NCC Annex Office, Mbora, FCT, Abuja on Monday.

The Nigerian Communications Commission NCC, has unveiled its draft Spectrum Roadmap for 2026–2030 alongside new guidelines for opening the lower 6GHz and 60GHz spectrum bands in line with the country’s vision to build a $1trillion digital economy by 2030.

Speaking at the official unveiling of the Roadmap in Abuja, Monday, the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Commission, Dr. Aminu Maida, described radio spectrum as a critical national resource underpinning mobile connectivity, broadband services, satellite communications, emergency networks, financial platforms, and emerging smart technologies.

Represented by the Head of Spectrum Administration of the NCC, Atiku Lawal, Dr. Maida noted that the unveiling of the draft roadmap and guidelines was in tandem with the Commission’s broader strategy to expand broadband access, drive investment, create jobs, and strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy, emphasising the central role of spectrum in sustaining and advancing the country’s digital infrastructure.

“Effective spectrum management is fundamental to meeting rising connectivity demands and enabling innovation across multiple sectors of the economy. The Spectrum Roadmap is therefore designed to provide a forward-looking framework that instills investor confidence, encourages innovation, and ensures the delivery of quality communication services nationwide.

“The initiatives are expected to stimulate broadband investment, expand digital infrastructure, create jobs, and strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy as the country positions itself to meet rising data demand and global competitiveness targets.

“Similarly, effective spectrum planning would help reduce broadband deployment costs, encourage network expansion into underserved and rural areas, and unlock new opportunities for businesses that depend on reliable digital connectivity”, Dr. Maida said.

He further observed that the demand for spectrum is increasing rapidly due to the growth of data-intensive applications, artificial intelligence, cloud services, and the Internet of Things, making smarter planning and more flexible regulation imperative.

He said: “Opening the lower 6GHz and 60GHz bands would provide additional capacity for high-speed, affordable, and reliable connectivity, particularly for Wi-Fi services in homes, schools, businesses, and public spaces.

“Expanded access to unlicensed spectrum will lower barriers to innovation, support new digital services, and enable SMEs to leverage affordable connectivity for growth.” he said.

Meanwhile, representative of the Head of Spectrum Administration, Engr. Joseph Emeshili, who also spoke at the event, described the roadmap as more than a technical document, which underpins it as a strategic blueprint to bridge the digital divide, expand economic participation, and make reliable connectivity accessible to all Nigerians, including those in rural communities.

“The lower 6GHz band would unlock the full potential of Wi-Fi 6, while the 60GHz band would support multi-gigabit wireless links for advanced applications such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and smart city development”, Engr. Emeshili, said.

Also speaking at the event, Engr. Gidado Maigana, who represented the Executive Commissioner for Technical Services of the Commission, Engr. Abraham Oshadami, emphasised the need for a robust spectrum planning, which, he argued is essential for achieving national broadband targets, attracting sustained investment, and ensuring that the country remains globally competitive in the telecoms arena.

Oshadami said: “Stakeholder engagement remains a vital key to strengthening the final policies, and expanded spectrum access would improve network quality, reduce deployment costs, and accelerate Nigeria’s transition to a digitally driven economy.

“The new roadmap and spectrum initiatives are in tandem with national development priorities and the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of building a $1 trillion digital economy by 2030.”