FG Begins Plans to Deploy 3,700 Telecom Towers Across Rural Nigeria

The Federal Government has commenced plans to deploy 3,700 telecommunications towers across rural and underserved communities in Nigeria as part of efforts to close the country’s digital divide and bring millions of people into the digital economy.

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, disclosed the development during the inaugural BINI RIVA LIFE Festival in Ogboghoro Community, Delta State. He said the initiative would particularly target hard-to-reach riverine communities that have historically struggled with reliable telecommunications services.

The tower rollout is part of the Nigeria Universal Communication Access Project (NUCAP), a broader government initiative designed to extend connectivity to more than 20 million Nigerians living in areas with limited or no network coverage. Earlier details of the programme indicated that the 3,700 towers would form a modern, green telecommunications network serving rural, riverine and other underserved locations.

Tijani said the first phase of the deployment has already commenced in Delta State, where a telecommunications tower is currently being installed. He added that the government expects significant progress on the project before the middle of 2027.

The minister stressed that the objective goes beyond simply providing phone and internet services. According to him, the government wants residents of remote communities to have direct access to the wider Nigerian economy and the global digital ecosystem.

“Before mid next year, all riverine communities in Nigeria will be connected to the rest of the country, but they’ll also be connected to the world as well,” Tijani said.

The planned infrastructure could have significant implications for communities that currently struggle with limited access to online education, digital banking, healthcare information, e-commerce and other technology-enabled services.

The government had earlier announced an immediate target of delivering at least 1,000 of the 3,700 tower sites in 2026. China Industrial Bank has also expressed support for the project and committed to helping accelerate the delivery of at least 1,000 sites before the end of the year.

The tower programme is also being pursued alongside the Federal Government’s planned 90,000-kilometre national fibre-optic network, which is expected to improve broadband infrastructure across states, local government areas and wards.

For Nigeria, expanding connectivity into rural and riverine communities could help unlock economic opportunities that remain largely inaccessible because of poor digital infrastructure. It could also support the government’s broader ambition of building a more digitally driven economy.