Federal Government has commenced the deployment of 3,700 telecommunications towers across the country to provide network coverage to nearly 20 million Nigerians currently without access to reliable telephone and internet services.
Gatekeepers News reports that Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, announced the initiative on Friday during the commissioning of the first telecommunications site under the Nigeria Universal Communication Access Project (NUCAP) in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State.
The project is designed to extend telecommunications services to communities that have remained without network coverage, particularly underserved areas where residents face difficulties accessing essential communication services and digital opportunities.
Tijani said the commissioning of the facility in Amaeke, Bende, marked the beginning of a wider nationwide rollout, with additional sites expected to be commissioned in the coming days, weeks and months.
He explained that the absence of network coverage affects residents’ ability to communicate with family members, receive payments, access emergency assistance and participate in economic activities.
The minister cited farmers who struggle to reach buyers, traders who depend on electronic payments and families who need to contact healthcare workers as examples of people affected by poor connectivity.
He said the project aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s ambition to build a $1 trillion economy by expanding opportunities for Nigerians to participate in economic growth through improved digital access.
Tijani also called on communities without telecommunications coverage to report their locations to the ministry for consideration under the initiative.
At the commissioning ceremony, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, identified 16 additional locations in Bende Federal Constituency requiring telecommunications infrastructure.
Kalu urged the government to extend the programme to the identified communities, noting that improved connectivity would support access to financial services, education, healthcare and other essential services.
The initiative forms part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts to bridge the digital divide and expand telecommunications infrastructure across Nigeria.
With thousands of towers planned for deployment, the government aims to bring millions of previously unconnected residents into the country’s digital economy and improve access to communication services in rural and underserved communities.
