… Condemn Prolonged “Talk Shows”, Insist On Action
By CHIDIEBERE NWANKWO
Stakeholders at the inaugural Rural Connectivity Summit held in Lagos on Wednesday, has harped on the need for a robust implementation of plans set out to increase access to digital services in rural communities.
The Summit, with its theme as “Rethinking Digital Connectivity to Unlock Rural Economic Potentials”, was organised by Business Metrics Limited, in partnership with key stakeholders.
Laying the ground works, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, noted that over 45% of Nigeria’s population resides in rural areas, yet continues to face systemic exclusion from digital opportunities.
The regulator, who was represented by the Controller of the NCC Lagos Office, Mr. Tunji Jimoh, delivered his Key note on “Leaving Nobody Behind: Leveraging Regulatory Advantages to Bridge Nigeria’s Digital Divide.”
Reeling out statistics from researches and the Commission’s monitoring indicators, Maida disclosed that while urban areas enjoy up to 57% Internet access, rural communities lag at just 23%. Cities like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt account for 75% to 80% of total data usage.
He also referenced Nigeria’s performance on the International Telecommunication Union’s ICT Development Index (IDI), where the country scored 52.9 in 2025, ranking 137th out of 164 economies — although an improvement from 46.9 in 2024.
“A community without digital connectivity is functionally invisible, cut off from modern education, global markets, specialized healthcare, and opportunity,” Maida said. “This digital invisibility is an unacceptable situation that we must act decisively to end.”
The EVC noted that to address these disparities, the NCC and Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) set out initiatives to address it, including the Rural Broadband Initiative (RUBI) and Accelerated Mobile Phone Expansion (AMPE), which subsidize the deployment of Base Transceiver Stations and fibre backbone infrastructure.
Maida also announced the launch of the Nigeria Digital Connectivity Index (NDCI) on October 9, 2025, which will provide an annual public scorecard measuring each state’s digital readiness.
“This index will foster competition and accountability among states,” he said.
He further emphasised the role of Community Networks in empowering local connectivity solutions. The NCC has partnered with the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) under its LocNet Initiative to develop enabling frameworks, with a national strategy conference held in October 2024 and a policy workshop in June 2025.
“We are currently conducting a comprehensive study on Community Networks, with framework development scheduled for January 2026,” Maida revealed.
Hitting on the challenges and the need for protection of infrastructure, Maida disclosed that the sector recorded 19,384 fibre cuts, 3,241 equipment thefts, and over 19,000 site access denials between January and August 2025. He credited the Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII) Presidential Order, signed by President Bola Tinubu in June 2024, for empowering law enforcement to combat vandalism.
The Chairman of the Association of Licenced Telecommunications Company of Nigeria (ALTON), Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, while speaking on the sub-theme “Rural Connectivity: 24 years On, What’s holding Us Back”, noted that there has been remarkable improvement in rural connectivity, with a huge gap yet to be filled. According to him, there is a need to empower the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) to do more.
He noted that getting it right in rural connectivity will unlock better opportunities in the value chain, especially in Agriculture, healthcare, job creation and SMEs. “We can make rural connectivity a living reality,” he concluded.
Hinging his submission on the fact that about 23 million Nigerians are still unserved, Co-Founder, Infratel Africa, Dr. Tola Yusuf called for a rethink of strategies and focus.
Other measures he recommended include employing a multi-layer approach in infrastructure deployment, eradicating monopoly in the sector, incentivizing real players in rural connectivity, and rethinking rural as opportunity goal, rather than burden.
The President of the Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Tony Emoekpere harped on the need to “connect real people” by being intentional in connecting the rural. He charged stakeholders to translate the talks and plans into action.
In his opening remark, the Convener of the Summit and Editor-in-Chief of Business Metrics Limited, Omobayo Azeez, noted that the strategic objective of the Rural Connectivity Summit is to ensure infrastructure development acceleration, policy framework enhancement, agri-tech integration, healthcare and education access enhancement, producing innovative financing solutions, improving digital skills and literacy development.
“Together, let’s connect communities to empower the futures,” he surmised in his call for stakeholders’ collaboration.
