As Maida calls for digital inclusion
Emmanuel Ukudolo I Friday, March 14, 2025
LAGOS, Nigeria – Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani has challenged stakeholders in the telecommunications sector to explore innovative business models, alternative energy solution and localized interventions that will ensure long term success so that the future of connectivity in Nigeria will be economically and environmentally sustainable.
The Minister who spoke at the Industry-focused stakeholders engagement session of the Universal Service Provision Fund, USPF in Lagos noted that sustainable and impactful progress requires strong partnerships across the public and private sectors, development agencies, civil society, and local communities.
For effective collaboration the minister directed stakeholders to focus on four key pillars, Community Engagement, Leveraging Existing Infrastructure, Capacity Building and Sustainable Solutions.
Tijani noted that with a clear focus on investment in last mile connectivity, capacity building and infrastructure development, backed up wit policies that enable the rapid deployment of digital infrastructure, Nigeria can achieve universal access to communications and digital literacy for all Nigerians by 2030.
The Minister noted that many communities—particularly rural areas—face significant barriers, including inadequate infrastructure and limited digital literacy, adding that these gaps not only hinder personal and business growth but also limit the full potential of Nigeria’s digital economy.
He said the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) has been a critical instrument in the Federal Governments’ mission to extend connectivity to these communities and that by supporting infrastructure expansion, fostering local innovation, and driving inclusive policies, the USPF aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR)’s goal of enabling meaningful and affordable connectivity for all Nigerians and that the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, is also actively driving transformative projects aimed at unlocking digital opportunities for millions of Nigerians.
According to him, some flagship initiatives that the federal government has embarked on to close this divide include:
- Project BRIDGE (90,000km Fibre Optic Expansion) which is designed to significantly improve broadband penetration across Nigeria by extending fibre optic infrastructure to all regions.
- Project 774: This initiative ensures that every local government secretariat in Nigeria benefits from high-speed connectivity, fostering grassroots digital transformation.
- The Universal Access Project: A game-changing initiative targeted at connecting over 20 million Nigerians who currently have no access to digital services.
- The National Broadband Alliance of Nigeria (NBAN): Our multi-stakeholder effort to drive collaboration across government and private sector to drive universal high quality broadband access
- The 3 Million Technical Talent programme ( 3MTT): Which is strengthening our talent pipeline to deliver a workforce to improve the digital ecosystem.
These projects, he pointed out are not just focused on infrastructure; but also about enabling businesses, empowering individuals, and unlocking the full economic potential of Nigeria’s digital landscape as government works towards a 1 Trillion Dollar Economy
In his welcome address, Executive Vice Chairman, Nigeria Communications Commission, NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida emphasised the need for digital inclusion, stressing that to achieve it, government agencies, mobile network operators, infrastructure providers, equipment manufacturers, development partners, and telecom trade groups must work closely together.
He said a multi stakeholder approach is essential to explore innovative financing models to attract investment in rural telecommunications, leverage emerging technologies and alternative power solutions for sustainable connectivity and to promote policies that incentivise collaborative participation in connectivity projects.
Maida explained that evolving telecommunications landscape necessitates innovative and collaborative approaches to ensure long-term viability in delivering connectivity to unserved and underserved populations.
He said that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), through the USPF, has been at the forefront of initiatives aimed at providing universal access and universal service.
“These efforts align with broader national and global goals, including bridging the digital divide, promoting universal access, fostering economic growth and social inclusion, and achieving Sustainable Development Goals “SDGs 4” (Quality Education) and 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure)”, adding that over time, the USPF has successfully implemented several projects under its access and connectivity programmes.
The NCC boss urged stakeholders to discuss practical strategies to enhance key connectivity projects such as the deployment of Base Transceiver Stations (BTS), Backbone Transmission and Infrastructure, amongst others.
