Gbenga Adebayo Advocates for Abolishing Right-of-Way Fees

Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, has called for legislation to abolish right-of-way charges on fibre-optic infrastructure. He made this statement during an interview following a panel session at the 32nd Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja.

Adebayo warned that these charges can constitute up to 60% of deployment costs in some states, discouraging investment in broadband connectivity. He emphasized that removing these charges would encourage operators to expand their networks, especially in rural and underserved areas.

Adebayo noted that the costs associated with right-of-way can be as high as 50-60% of the total cost of deploying fibre-optic cables. He proposed incentives for operators to extend services to less commercially attractive locations and highlighted the need for government intervention funds to address coverage gaps.

Adebayo also pointed out the increasing demand for internet services and the challenges posed by ageing infrastructure and insufficient telecommunications towers.