FG targets 200 new telecom sites before December

The Federal Government of Nigeria has set a target to commission 200 new telecommunications sites before the end of this year, as part of a nationwide infrastructure initiative. This project aims to connect over 20 million Nigerians currently lacking adequate telecom services. The initiative is expected to roll out 3,700 telecommunications towers, primarily in underserved and unserved communities.

Each tower is designed to serve communities of 5,000 to 10,000 residents, with the potential to reach more than 20 million people once completed. The initiative follows a directive from President Bola Tinubu to extend telecom services to disconnected communities. The first tower has already been deployed in Kura Village, outside Abuja, with further work underway in the Niger Delta.

The government is also investing in a 90,000-kilometre fibre optic network to expand broadband infrastructure and improve internet access nationwide. President Tinubu has also approved an upgrade of Nigeria's communications satellite to reach areas beyond the reach of fibre optic cables and towers.