Telecom
Extending Telecoms Connectivity to rural Africa
In spite of tremendous growth in telecommunications service delivery in Africa, greater percentage of rural populace in the region is yet to enjoy telecom access, due mostly because rural areas are not commercially viable.
Governments in Africa have attempted to lure operators in providing service to rural dwellers through incentive such as tax waivers and provision of telecom infrastructure to no avail.
Against this backdrop that a report dealing with the broader issues of rural connectivity in Africa launched last week by the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO). The report reveals that a number of novel and multi-stakeholder partnerships, unique business models and innovative technologies are, for the first time, paving the way to connect many of Africa’s rural communities, on a sustainable, profitable basis.
The report provides evidence that contrary to some assumptions that the private sector can lead the effort to connect Africa’s rural populations, the experiences of industrialized countries like Canada, the Unites States and Australia is that governments have had to lead the effort, but in close collaboration with the private sector and local communities. The report calls for Commonwealth African governments to implement their national ICT policies as part of a wider national development strategy and to make faster in-roads into rural ICT rollout through public private peoples partnerships (PPPPs), with local communities playing a more pivotal role.
The report finds that the key to successful partnerships between the public and private sectors and other ICT stakeholders is to encourage local ownership, thereby nurturing the community’s enthusiasm for effective connectivity and ensuring the sustainability of ICT investments.
The CTO study found that whereas Commonwealth countries such as Malaysia and India have made significant in-roads in rural connectivity, Commonwealth African countries like Sierra Leone and Zambia are lagging behind in rural access, leading to poor and overall slow economic growth. The report finds that although recent years have seen dramatic growth in penetration rates in some African countries, especially through mobile networks, the continent’s aggregate penetration rate is still less than 20 percent.
"For Internet access and use, the figures are well below 5 percent for most of Africa. Over 60 percent of Africa’s population lives in unconnected rural areas and represent an untapped market, holding enormous potential for growth for service providers, equipment manufacturers and the entire telecommunications industry", the report claims.
By way of conclusion the report calls for ICT policy provisions that focus on universal and rural access, in order to affirm the commitment of governments to providing basic ICT services to poor, isolated and marginalized communities . There is also the need for continued incremental and a more methodical process of liberalization and privatization of the telecommunications sector in many African countries, and a variety of regulatory safeguards need to be put in place to foster competition and promote a conducive environment for rural connectivity.
Commenting on the initiative, Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah chief executive officer of CTO said that the evidence they have accumulated in the course of the 9-month study demonstrates that most of Africa’s rural populations could well be connected over the next decade. "This is partly because an unusual confluence of sounder policies, relevant legislation, improving regulatory practices, the establishment of universal access and service agencies and the revenues they have acquired, new technologies and business models, and the availability of funding from a plethora of sources, all make it now possible for most of Africa to be connected wirelessly within the next ten years," he said. According to Spio-Garbrah, who is a former Minister of Communications in Ghana, ‘the pilot project models we have found to work best are where a combination of public institutions and private ICT operators or equipment vendors have found it possible to involve local groups or communities in structuring, ownership or management of the ICT assets, to ensure their more effective use and sustainable operation. We hope that more companies will join the CTO as we move to the second phase of this important initiative to replicate and scale-up a number of selected model projects, so that the benefits of ICTs can be enjoyed by millions more in Africa’. "Connecting the majority of Africans to the Information Super Highway is necessary if African countries are to benefit from the global knowledge revolution," he said.
The project was undertaken under the auspices of the Commonwealth Connects programme, which involves collaboration with a number of Commonwealth agencies, including the Commonwealth Secretariat. It is supported by the International Telecommunication Union, as part of efforts to help unearth market opportunities, enhance technological advancements, as well as accelerate social development and economic growth by connecting rural communities in the 18 Commonwealth African countries.
The first phase of the project was aimed at discovering how telecommunications regulation, policy, legislation, and operational, technological and financial models affect the potential for cost-effective rural connectivity in the 18 African Commonwealth countries. The research compiled similar information on initiatives and best practices of five selected non-African countries such as USA, Canada, Australia, Malaysia and India, countries that have enjoyed greater success in connecting their rural populations. Subsequently the initiative is to devise effective dissemination channels for the report and identify 10 pilot projects for adaptation and replication to form the basis for the second phase of the project.
Can it happen in Nigeria?
Just as the telecom sector in India is fully liberalized and fastest growing so also is Nigeria’s. The question now is why is Nigeria moving at a slow pace? Currently, all the successes recorded in the sector are essentially an urban phenomenon. The four digital mobile operators have concentrated their activities in high density areas. Locations without access are either remote or are relatively poor communities. This has therefore affected some regions more than others.
A Nigerian Communications Commission NCC/World Bank study has looked at the market potential for telecoms services in the country. The study looked at a range of variable including geo-demographic, socio-economic and infrastructure data. It concludes that the entire country is reachable and that a significant market scope exists. The study conducted ranking among states. The most challenging northern states are typically low socio-economically.
They have low revenue potential, poorest infrastructure and highest cost for telecoms development. However, some challenging southern states exist, but are less difficult to serve. These states usually are small in size: have potential to cover cost, and have good chances of returning a profit.
So far, digital mobile licensees have been slow in expanding into rural areas, despite the fact that the NCC requires them to invest part of their income in setting up services in the rural communities. Market assessments suggest that about 22 states will need some form of incentive to attractive mobile operators. The universal Access fund (UAF) operated by the stakeholders (operators, government and donors) is expected to be a vehicle to deliver these incentives.
Over two thirds of Nigeria’s population resides in rural area. Increasingly, poverty in the country is wearing a rural face. From 28.3 percent in 1980 poverty among the rural population grew to 51.4 percent in 1985, has since risen to 69.8 percent.
Little wonder that global consultancies and analysis believe that if only the operators could convert the challenges in rural Nigeria to opportunities, Nigeria would be an exciting story for other countries of the world to emulate.
Paradigm Initiative (PIN), a pan-African digital rights and inclusion organisation, says it has engaged more than 1,300 stakeholders across 11 African countries through a series of forums, training sessions and policy dialogues aimed at strengthening digital rights, inclusion and online civic participation.
The organisation disclosed this in a statement, saying the engagements were carried out during the second quarter of the year through 26 programmes focused on election monitoring, judicial capacity building, digital literacy and policy development.
According to PIN, the initiative brought together policymakers, judges, lawyers, journalists, civil society organisations and community groups to promote a safer, more inclusive digital ecosystem across the continent.
The organisation said the programmes focused on safeguarding electoral integrity in Zambia, The Gambia and Ethiopia, while also strengthening the capacity of Nigeria’s judiciary on issues relating to Artificial Intelligence (AI), data privacy and digital evidence.
In partnership with Meta, PIN trained 35 judges in Lagos across two cohorts on privacy, data protection, AI and digital evidence.
It described the initiative as a significant step towards equipping Nigeria’s judicial officers to effectively handle legal disputes arising from an increasingly digital society.
The organisation also expanded its Digital Rights and Elections in Africa Meetings (DREAM) to Ethiopia, The Gambia and Zambia.
According to the statement, the programme equipped 110 civil society organisations, media professionals and election management bodies with skills to monitor digital rights violations and protect online civic spaces during election periods.
PIN further said its Digital Rights Academy (DRA) trained more than 100 lawyers, law students and digital rights advocates from Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
The academy focused on strengthening participants’ capacity in strategic litigation and promoting accountability for digital rights violations.
The organisation also hosted a Digital Policy Engagement Roundtable, bringing together 34 stakeholders, including organisations representing persons with disabilities, to discuss accessibility and inclusion in digital policy development.
It said Afrocities roundtables held in Nigeria and Tanzania attracted 80 participants who explored ways of improving informal workers’ access to digital social protection and financial services.
According to the statement, a ministerial roundtable in Zambia also aligned the country’s digital priorities with the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20) review process.
PIN said it also implemented the Digital Rights and Inclusion Board Learning Experience (DRIBLE) Ambassadors Training in Cameroon, Nigeria and Senegal.
The programme reached 315 participants and strengthened their capacity to deliver digital rights education through experiential learning approaches.
The organisation said the training improved participants’ understanding of digital rights and increased interest in practical digital rights education across communities.
PIN also highlighted the successful hosting of the Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum 2026 (DRIF26) in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
The forum, themed “Building Inclusive and Resilient Digital Futures”, attracted 415 participants from more than 39 countries.
According to the organisation, the event brought together policymakers, civil society organisations, media professionals, academics, legal experts, technologists, human rights defenders and development partners to promote dialogue, partnerships and knowledge sharing on Africa’s digital future.
PIN said the engagements underscored the growing importance of collaborative efforts in advancing digital rights, promoting inclusion and strengthening digital governance across the continent
Federal Government has suspended the implementation and enforcement of newly introduced regulations affecting internet platforms, online intermediaries and other cross-cutting issues in the digital economy pending the development of a harmonised national policy framework.
Bosun Tijani
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, issued the directive following a strategic meeting with the leadership of the Nigerian Communications Commission, National Information Technology Development Agency and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday, the three agencies have been directed to maintain the existing regulatory framework while efforts to harmonise policies are underway.
The statement said the implementation or enforcement of recently introduced regulations, guidelines, codes, directives and administrative requirements relating to internet platforms and other digital economy issues would be deferred where they are part of the ongoing review.
It, however, clarified that the directive does not affect the statutory responsibilities of the agencies.
According to the ministry, existing regulations that fall within the legal mandates of the respective agencies will remain in force, provided they are consistent with the ministry’s policy direction.
Tijani said the rapid convergence of telecommunications, digital platforms, artificial intelligence, online safety and data governance had created overlapping regulatory responsibilities, making closer collaboration among regulators imperative.
He said a harmonised regulatory framework would provide greater legal certainty for businesses, encourage investment, promote innovation, strengthen consumer confidence and enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness as Africa’s leading digital economy.
“As part of the harmonisation process, a joint technical coordination committee comprising representatives of the NCC, NITDA and NDPC has been established.
“The committee will coordinate stakeholder consultations and develop recommendations for a unified national policy and governance framework,” the statement said.
It added that the proposed framework would seek to clearly define the responsibilities of each regulator, reduce compliance uncertainty for businesses and improve regulatory coordination across the digital ecosystem.
The ministry stressed that the harmonisation exercise was aimed at improving collaboration among the agencies and was not intended to diminish their statutory powers.
The development comes less than 24 hours after President Bola Tinubu directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to investigate major technology companies and generative artificial intelligence platforms over allegations of anti-competitive practices and the exploitation of Nigerian media content.
Airtel Africa, a telecommunications and mobile money services provider across 14 African countries, saved 9.1 million litres of diesel during its just ended 2025/2026 financial year, as part of efforts to drive responsible growth by minimising the environmental impact of its operations.
This was achieved by reducing reliance on diesel and increasing use of lower-carbon energy sources, including the conversion of 390 infrastructure sites to on-grid power during the year, thus improving efficiency and reducing emissions.
Airtel Africa CEO, Sunil Taldar highlighted this achievement during a media roundtable held in Lusaka, Zambia, where he presented the Group’s Sustainability Scorecard and progress towards building a more sustainable, inclusive and connected Africa.
Other initiatives to reduce Airtel Africa’s environmental impact during the year included promoting the circular economy, recycling 94% of total waste generated. These form part of Airtel Africa’s broader sustainability strategy, which seeks to create long-term value by balancing business growth with environmental stewardship, digital inclusion and socio-economic development.
Mr. Taldar emphasized that responsible growth remains central to Airtel Africa’s business strategy and is reflected in the company’s ability to extend services and opportunities to millions of people across the continent while advancing sustainability goals. Airtel Africa’s network now reaches 81.9% of the population across its markets, enabling greater access to connectivity, information, education and economic opportunities for individuals and communities.
The company recorded progress in its efforts to advance financial inclusion. Airtel Money now serves 54.1 million customers through a network of 2.4 million agents, making it one of Africa’s largest digital financial services ecosystems. Notably, 44.1% of Airtel Money customers are female, demonstrating the platform’s growing role in empowering women through access to secure, affordable and convenient financial services.
Beyond connectivity and financial inclusion, Airtel Africa, through its philanthropic arm, Airtel Africa Foundation continued to drive meaningful change across communities in the continent, investing US$6.2 million in priority programmes in four strategic areas namely Financial Inclusion, Education, Environmental Sustainability and Digital Inclusion.
Through its partnership with UNICEF, 3,296 schools have been connected to the free internet access, helping to bridge the digital divide and expand access to quality education reaching over 2 million learners and 38,868 teachers, while 64 zero-rated digital learning platforms enabled more than 11 million learners to access free digital educational content.
Also, during the year, more than 30,000 young people received digital skills training, while over 250 full undergraduate STEM scholarships were awarded through the Airtel Africa Tech Fellowship programme, helping to prepare the next generation of African innovators and technology leaders.
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