The Nigerian state of Nasarawa has abolished the Right of Way (RoW) costs associated with the construction, placement, laying, and maintenance of telecoms network equipment within the state. This move was executed through the implementation of the State Right of Way Regulation 2023, which came into immediate effect.
RoW charges, which are fees paid by telecom companies to state governments for deploying optic cables on state roadways, have been eliminated in Nasarawa State. The law officially took effect on December 29, 2023, and the Nasarawa State Urban Development Board has been instructed not to collect any such charges.
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State received positive recognition for this decision from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). Aminu Maida, the Vice-Chairman and CEO of NCC, praised the move, stating that it is a significant stride towards creating a favorable environment for the digital economy to flourish. The NCC sees this as a positive development in achieving the National Broadband Plan's goal of reaching 75% of the fiber optic cable target by the end of 2027.
This decision follows a similar move by the Katsina state government, which eliminated RoW charges the previous month. The NCC is currently engaged in discussions with other states, advocating for the waiver of such fees. The hope is that more states within Nigeria, consisting of 36 in total, will follow suit in reducing or eliminating these charges.
