FG begins 3,700 rural connectivity tower rollout in Abia

The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, on Friday commissioned the first of 3,700 sites under the Nigeria Universal Communication Access Project in Bende, Abia State.

The project aims to provide reliable broadband and communication services to unserved and underserved rural and riverine communities across Nigeria.

Speaking at the commissioning, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, said, “Through Nigeria Universal Communication Access Project, NUCAP, which is the project we are launching today, we are delivering 3,700 of the towers across the entire country. But today, we are commissioning the first of these sites here in Bende. And more of it will come in so many parts of Nigeria.”

He highlighted the project’s potential benefits in education, commerce, agriculture, healthcare and other aspects of Nigerians’ socio-economic lives, stating, “we believe we must change that, starting from Bende”.

Tijani also commended the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, for attracting the project to Bende.

According to the minister, “the President made resources available for us to buy all the towers that we need to connect to our community. And across Nigeria, many more communities are still waiting to be connected. They are the reason why we do the work that we do. Our president would always talk about the need for us to grow a $1 trillion economy”.

Speaking at the event, Kalu described the commissioning as “opening a new channel of opportunity for the people of Bende”.

He said it “will present the possibility of a clearer conversation, a successful banking transaction, a lesson assessed online, a medical consultation, and an emergency call that gets through when it matters most”.

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Kalu said the President was innovative and meant well for Nigerians, stating, “Mr. President, when others are not thinking, you are thinking about building legacies, and this is one of those legacies”.

He added, “for too long, this community, and almost 20 million people around this area, have suffered a lack of connectivity. We want to say thank you”.

“I commend the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, the implementing agencies, network providers, the engineers, and all partners responsible for these interventions,” he said.

In his goodwill message, the Chief Commercial Officer of IHS Nigeria, Akeem Adeshina, described the occasion as “an important milestone in our collective efforts to expand digital access and bring the opportunities of connectivity closer to underserved communities across Nigeria”.

He said, “Through this initiative, GICL, a subsidiary of IHS Towers is supporting the deployment of rural telecommunications infrastructure, alongside Public Wi-Fi and Smart Village solutions, beginning with seven locations across Abia, Delta, Enugu, Plateau, Katsina and Ogun States.

“We therefore commend the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and the Universal Service Provision Fund for their commitment to extending digital services to underserved communities”.