FG Begins 3,700 Rural Connectivity Tower Rollout in Abia

The Federal Government has commenced the nationwide deployment of 3,700 telecommunications towers, beginning with the commissioning of the first site in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State.

The facility was commissioned on Friday by the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, under the Nigeria Universal Communication Access Project (NUCAP), which aims to extend reliable telephone and internet services to nearly 20 million Nigerians in unserved and underserved communities.

Speaking at the event, Tijani said the project was designed to bridge the digital divide by providing connectivity to rural and riverine areas that have remained without adequate network coverage.

He said the government was committed to ensuring that geographical location did not prevent Nigerians from accessing opportunities in education, agriculture, commerce, healthcare and other sectors.

According to the minister, the administration had made resources available for the deployment of the towers, with additional sites expected to be commissioned across the country in the coming weeks and months.

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, described the Bende installation as an important step towards expanding economic and social opportunities for residents.

He said reliable telecommunications services would enable farmers to reach buyers, traders to complete electronic payments, students to access online learning resources and patients to benefit from remote medical consultations.

Kalu also identified 16 additional locations in Bende Federal Constituency that require telecommunications infrastructure, urging the ministry and implementing partners to consider them for future deployment.

The Chief Commercial Officer of IHS Nigeria, Akeem Adeshina, said Global Independent Connect Limited, a subsidiary of IHS Towers, was supporting the deployment of rural telecommunications infrastructure.

He added that the initiative would include public Wi-Fi and Smart Village solutions, beginning with seven locations across Abia, Delta, Enugu, Plateau, Katsina and Ogun states.

The project is funded through the Universal Service Provision Fund and is intended to expand digital access in communities where commercial telecommunications infrastructure has been limited.

The commissioning marks the beginning of the nationwide rollout, with the government targeting improved connectivity for millions of Nigerians currently excluded from reliable telephone and internet services.