The Federal Government has announced plans to activate at least 200 new telecommunications sites across the country before December 2026, as part of efforts to extend digital connectivity to millions of Nigerians living in underserved and unserved communities.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja during the commissioning of the new headquarters of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission.
According to Tijani, the 200 sites are part of a broader government programme to deploy 3,700 telecommunications towers nationwide, particularly in communities that currently have limited or no access to reliable telecommunications services.
He explained that each tower is expected to provide connectivity to communities with between 5,000 and 10,000 residents, meaning the overall project could bring more than 20 million Nigerians into the country’s digital network.
“Before December, at least 200 of those sites will be active,” the minister said.
Tijani said the initiative followed a directive from President Bola Tinubu to expand telecommunications services to communities that remain disconnected from Nigeria’s digital infrastructure.
He disclosed that the first tower under the programme had already been deployed in Kura Village, outside Abuja, while construction had also commenced in parts of the Niger Delta.
The minister further revealed that the Federal Government is investing in a 90,000-kilometre fibre-optic network as part of measures to strengthen broadband infrastructure and improve internet access across the country.
He added that President Tinubu had also approved the upgrade of Nigeria’s communications satellite to provide connectivity to locations that cannot be reached by fibre-optic cables or conventional telecommunications towers.
Tijani explained that the satellite upgrade would enable NIGCOMSAT to extend communications services to remote locations where terrestrial infrastructure may not be practical.
The minister also highlighted the growing contribution of the Information and Communications Technology sector to Nigeria’s economy, saying its contribution to Gross Domestic Product had increased to about 21 per cent from between 16 and 18 per cent when the current administration assumed office.
He said the government should aim to raise the sector’s contribution to 25 per cent, stressing that expanding connectivity must go hand in hand with digital literacy, cybersecurity and stronger data protection measures.
“As we bring more people online, we also have to ensure that we can protect them as well,” Tijani said, noting that digital literacy, cybersecurity and data protection remain critical pillars of Nigeria’s digital economy.
Meanwhile, the National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Dr Vincent Olatunji, said the commission had licensed 356 Data Protection Compliance Organisations and facilitated the creation of more than 27,000 jobs within three years.
Olatunji also disclosed that the commission had generated more than N12 billion in revenue within the period, while Nigeria’s data privacy and protection ecosystem was estimated to be worth over N18 billion.
He added that the NDPC’s virtual privacy academy had enrolled more than 66,000 Nigerians, while over 220 training programmes had benefited 99,370 people across different sectors.
Earlier, the NDPC’s Head of People Management and Administration, Mrs Watira Fitto, described the commission’s new headquarters in Mbora District, Abuja, as a major milestone in its development.
She said the commission had moved through several locations within four years, growing from fewer than three office spaces at NITDA to larger facilities in Maitama and Asokoro, before moving into its new headquarters with about 56 office spaces.
The Federal Government says the combined investment in telecommunications towers, fibre-optic infrastructure and satellite technology is expected to significantly expand connectivity and support the country’s broader digital economy ambitions.
