Telecom
Broadband: FG Urges Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to Focus on Underserved, Unserved Areas
President Muhammadu Buhari has urged mobile network operators (MNOs) to ensure full attainment of the targets set in the new National Broadband Plan 2020-2025 by giving special attention to unserved and underserved areas when deploying telecom services.
The President made the call on Thursday at the unveiling of the National Broadband Plan (NBP) 2020–2025, the commissioning of the Communications and Digital Economy Complex, the commencement of the Digital, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Scheme, and the launching of the Abuja Emergency Communication Centre (ECC) and the National Emergency Toll-Free Number, 112.
President Buhari, who expressed concern about the challenges faced by operators in the country, particularly vandalism of telecommunications equipment, also directed the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami to work with all relevant government agencies to ensure full protection of critical national infrastructure such as telecoms infrastructure.
He emphasised Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring that all stakeholders have a conducive environment to ensure the successful implementation of the Broadband Plan, which seeks to boost broadband penetration as well as support the deployment of 4G across the country.
The President particularly commended efforts of the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the Presidential Committee and all other stakeholders, who participated in the development of the new National Broadband Plan, for coming up with new broadband target of 70 per cent penetration of broadband in the country by 2025.
Speaking further at the occasion, the President said the NCC’s Communications and Digital Economy Complex will provide a befitting coordinating centre for the new focus on a digital Nigeria.
He stated that the commissioning of the complex amplified government’s desire to intensify efforts towards ensuring that Nigeria becomes an active participant in the Global Digital Economy.
He also said that the newly-commissioned ECC and Toll Free Number, 112, demonstrate his administration’s resolve to keep Nigerians safe by taking advantage of digital technologies to ensure that Nigerians in distress are only a phone call away from the relevant emergency response institutions in the country to ensure their rescue.
“The Emergency Communications Centres (ECC) will go a long way in supporting our efforts to improve the security of lives and property,” the President said.
He also explained that the Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training scheme, an initiative of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, is one of Federal Government’s key initiatives to empower innovators and entrepreneurs with skills required to thrive in the emerging digital economy.
Buhari said the digital capacity-building initiative is part of his administration’s efforts to ensure that “our youths, women, unemployed graduates and people living with disabilities either become employers of labour or get a large number of well-paying jobs thereby incrementally contributing to the national drive of lifting many Nigerians out of poverty.”
While stating that the dwindling price of crude oil had adversely affected budgetary projections and underscores the imperative of diversifying the economy, Buhari, however, expressed delight that the projects commissioned would enhance the development of the National Digital Economy and support efforts at diversifying the economy.
“The Digital Economy will also support us in fighting corruption through digitalization and enabling government digital services.
“Digital technologies have become a useful platform for economic diversification. Having recognised the benefits of these technologies we have decided to adopt the Digital Economy paradigm early,” he said.
Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, minister of Communications and Digital Economy, emphasised the centrality of broadband penetration to reviving the Nigerian economy.
He said it has been proven that 10 per cent broadband penetration in any country will improve its GDP by at least 4.6 per cent.
The Minister explained that with Coronavirus contagion spreading across the globe and more people living in isolation, the digital and information communication sector is providing alternatives for people to stay in touch and institutions to provide the needed basic life-saving services to the populace.
Also speaking, Prof. Umar Danbatta, executive vice chairman of the NCC, said as at the time President Buhari’s administration came into power in 2015, broadband penetration was hovering between 4 and 6 per cent. However, broadband penetration has now reached 38.5 per cent.
Going down memory lane on the construction of the complex, Danbatta explained that as part of its desire to further develop the communications sector, the NCC set up the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) in 2005 and the NCC-DBI hostel and recreational facilities as part of its initiative to provide a conducive atmosphere for proposed students.
“The facility was confirmed and ratified by the Federal Executive Council at its 45th meeting held on November 22, 2006.
“The NCC-DBI hostel and recreational facilities were abandoned before completion and were redesigned and modified by the NCC Management in 2018 from a hostel to an office complex; and was later renamed the Communications and Digital Economy Complex in line with current realities and policy direction of the government on digital Nigeria.
“The facility provides office accommodation to the Honourable Minister, Communications & Digital Economy and four full departments of the NCC,” he said.
On the ECC, the EVC said NCC facilitated the establishment of 18 ECCs in 17 states of the Federation and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in line with the Commission’s mandate under section 107 of Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003.
“This is to promote and enhance public safety through the use of a particular number designed as the universal safety and emergency assistance number for telephone services generally; and to encourage and facilitate the prompt deployment throughout Nigeria of seamless, ubiquitous and reliable end-to-end infrastructure for emergency communication needs,” the EVC said.
The recognition of the significant role of NCC’s ECC in enhancing security resulted in the awards received by the Commission and its CEO in 2019.
Consequently, the NCC has also been inducted into the Forum of Spokesperson of Security and Response Agencies (FOSSRA), as an eloquent testimony to its commitment to leveraging new technologies to address the nation’s numerous security concerns.
The Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) has unveiled Accelerator Cohort 3.0 as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s space technology ecosystem and support the growth of local startups.
The initiative will be a major highlight of the 2026 Nigerian Satellite Week scheduled to hold on March 30 and 31 in Abuja, where key players in the satellite and digital infrastructure sectors are expected to converge.
In a statement signed by Stephen Kwande, the Head of Corporate Communications, the company described the new accelerator as its most direct investment in building long-term competitiveness within Nigeria’s space economy.
According to NIGCOMSAT, the programme is designed to support early-stage ventures working across satellite applications, last-mile connectivity, agriculture, logistics and other areas where space-based technology can drive impact.
The company said previous cohorts of the accelerator had already contributed to developing innovative solutions and building the human capacity needed to position Nigeria for the next phase of the global space industry.
“With Cohort 3.0, we are making it clear that the accelerator is not a pilot project but a permanent feature of how Nigeria develops its space-tech companies,” the statement said.
NIGCOMSAT noted that the Nigerian Satellite Week has grown into a major platform for policy discussions, partnerships and investment in the sector.
The 2026 edition is expected to attract top government officials, defence leaders, development finance institutions and technology entrepreneurs from across Africa.
Jane Egerton-Idehen, managing director of NIGCOMSAT, said the event also marks two decades of Nigeria’s journey in the space economy.
“Twenty years ago, Nigeria took a bold step to secure its place in space. What we are seeing today is the result of consistent effort and vision,” she said.
She added that the company is focused on shaping the next phase of growth through innovation, partnerships and investment in local talent.
NIGCOMSAT also highlighted recent milestones, including a Low Earth Orbit connectivity partnership with Eutelsat, improved revenue performance and increased global recognition in satellite operations.
Other activities lined up for the event include a Startup Demo Day, where selected African startups will pitch their ideas to investors, and a stakeholders’ forum to discuss policies and infrastructure needed to scale Nigeria’s satellite economy.
The company said the initiative reflects the growing role of satellite technology in national development, particularly in areas such as communications, security and digital services.
NIGCOMSAT, established in 2006 and wholly owned by the Federal Government, provides satellite-based services including telecommunications, broadcasting and broadband across Nigeria and parts of Africa.
The Federal Government has unveiled a N12bn Digital Economy Research Fund aimed at strengthening evidence-based policymaking and supporting Nigeria’s long-term digital transformation agenda.
Dr. Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday, announcing the launch of an expression of interest for the National Digital Economy Research Clusters.
“Today my heart is filled with deep joy as we announce the Expression of Interest for the National Digital Economy Research Clusters, a N12bn research funding scheme designed to place ideas, evidence, and research at the centre of Nigeria’s digital transformation,” the minister said.
According to him, the programme is being funded under Project BRIDGE, a federal initiative to deploy 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic backbone infrastructure across Nigeria to expand connectivity and enable a modern digital economy.
“This programme is being funded under Project BRIDGE, our initiative to deploy 90,000km of fibre optic backbone infrastructure across Nigeria to expand connectivity and enable a modern digital economy,” he said.
The minister noted that as the government expands digital infrastructure nationwide, research-backed approaches are required to ensure inclusive benefits.
“As we deepen our digital infrastructure coverage, thoughtful, evidence-based approaches are required to be deployed in society to ensure everyone benefits from this significant investment,” he added.
He observed that digital policy decisions are often shaped by market forces and political cycles rather than rigorous research and long-term thinking. “Too often, the ideas shaping digital policy come predominantly from markets and political cycles rather than from research, evidence, and long-term thinking,” the statement said.
Under the initiative, six national research clusters will be established across key pillars of the digital economy, including connectivity and meaningful use; digital public infrastructure and government services; digital skills and human capital development; digital economy and jobs; online trust and consumer protection; as well as artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
The clusters will be led by up to 36 professors drawn from Nigerian universities, working alongside international academic partners, with more than 200 researchers, including postdoctoral fellows and PhD candidates, expected to generate policy-relevant research.
“For me, the goal goes beyond research output. We are looking for better policies that lead to stronger institutions and a more prosperous society,” the minister said.
He described the initiative as one of the ministry’s most meaningful programmes, noting that it is intended to produce ideas that will outlast any single administration. “Because nations that lead the future are not simply those that deploy infrastructure; they are the ones that cultivate ideas,” he said.
The ministry invited academic and research institutions interested in participating to review the Terms of Reference released alongside the EOI and submit proposals to lead or collaborate within the national research clusters.
It added that a press conference would be held in the coming week to provide further details and engagement opportunities for vice-chancellors and research institutions across the country.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to compensate subscribers experiencing poor network service across the country.
The Commission said the directive was part of efforts to ensure that consumers are not made to bear the burden of service failures when operators fall short of required standards.
Under the new regulation, telecom operators will be required to provide compensation directly to affected subscribers for breaches of Quality of Service (QoS) Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
According to the NCC, the compensation will be issued in the form of airtime credits, calculated based on subscribers’ average usage and their presence within specific Local Government Areas where service disruptions occur.
The Commission emphasised that telecommunications services remain critical to economic activities, social interactions, and access to digital opportunities, noting that poor service delivery negatively impacts productivity and public confidence.
It explained that while regulatory fines have traditionally been used to sanction operators, the new approach prioritises consumer protection and strengthens accountability within the telecommunications sector.
The NCC added that the measure would complement existing efforts to monitor service quality and enforce compliance with performance standards.
In addition, the Commission directed tower companies responsible for telecom infrastructure, such as network masts, to reinvest fines imposed on them into infrastructure upgrades with measurable outcomes.
The regulator reiterated its commitment to ensuring that operators invest in network resilience, expand capacity, and improve infrastructure to meet growing demand.
It also pledged to continue deploying regulatory mechanisms that promote fairness, transparency, and accountability across the industry, while ensuring that subscribers receive the quality of service they deserve.
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