In order to bridge Nigeria’s digital divide, the Federal Government has announced the deployment of 7,000 new telecommunications towers across underserved communities, targeting more than 20 million Nigerians who currently lack access to any form of telecommunication services.
The announcement was made by Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, during a joint ministerial appearance on Channels TV alongside Senator John Enoh, Minister of State for Industry, on Thursday.
Dr. Tijani said: ‘This initiative marks a critical move toward nationwide digital inclusion. We launched the first of these towers just yesterday in Kura, a village near Abuja with a population of about 12,000.
‘Until now, the community had no communication services. The newly installed tower now supports voice calls and internet connectivity to both the local health center and school.
‘This tower deployment complements broader efforts by the Tinubu administration to close Nigeria’s connectivity gap.
‘A national broadband committee has established that the country requires 125,000 kilometers of fiber optic cable to ensure universal broadband access. Currently, Nigeria has just 35,000–40,000 kilometers installed.
‘This infrastructure gap explains why Nigerians often experience poor internet quality, especially during broadband-dependent services like WhatsApp calls’, the minister noted.
According to him, ‘To address this, the government has initiated a 90,000-kilometer fiber optic expansion project, expected to cost $2 billion, with support from the World Bank.
‘The project is set to begin before the end of 2025, and is expected to be significantly completed within the first term of the current administration’.
Dr. Tijani also spotlighted the administration’s flagship digital empowerment program, the Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT), initiative.
He said: ‘Nearly 130,000 young Nigerians have already received technical and digital skills training under the program, aimed at creating one million tech jobs.
‘3MTT is not just a training scheme, it is a pipeline for jobs, startups, and long-term innovation. We’re no longer just talking about Nigeria’s potential, we’re building performance.
‘As part of its holistic digital transformation agenda, the ministry has also: Funded over 50 AI-focused startups in the past year.
‘Deployed broadband to university hostels, now live at the University of Abuja and University of Lagos, with seven more campuses set to follow by June.
‘Reconstructed the Kano Innovation Hub, destroyed during riots, which will reopen next week.
‘Rolled out a nationwide network of innovation hubs in collaboration with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
Dr. Tijani encouraged Nigerian youth to take initiative, make use of available tools, and stay informed about government programs.
He said: ‘I’m the first minister in Nigeria’s history to publish a weekly activity report alongside white papers on major initiatives.
‘If you don’t know, ask your AI tools. Search. Explore. The tools are in your hands, use them.
He charged Nigerian youths: ‘We must stop waiting for someone to hand us an opportunity. In this digital age, opportunity is searchable. Our job as a ministry is to clear the path. Your job is to take the first step’.
