FG targets 200 new telecom sites before December

The Federal Government in Nigeria has announced plans to deploy 200 new telecommunications sites before December as part of an infrastructure project aimed at connecting over 20 million Nigerians currently without adequate telecom services. This initiative, led by the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, will see the installation of 3,700 telecommunications towers across the country, focusing on underserved and unserved communities.

Each tower is expected to serve communities of 5,000 to 10,000 people, ultimately reaching more than 20 million Nigerians upon completion of the project. The initiative follows a directive from President Bola Tinubu to extend telecommunications services to more disconnected communities. The government is also investing in a 90,000-kilometre fibre optic network to expand broadband infrastructure and improve internet access nationwide.

Additionally, the Nigerian Communications Satellite will be upgraded to reach areas where fibre optic cables and towers cannot access. The project aims to increase the Information and Communications Technology sector's contribution to the country's GDP to 25 per cent from the current 21 per cent. The National Data Protection Commission (NDPC) also celebrated a significant milestone with its new headquarters, which has generated over N12bn in revenue and created more than 27,000 jobs in three years.