ABUJA — The Federal Government has announced plans to activate at least 200 new telecommunications sites before December 2026 as part of an immediate, aggressive push to expand mobile network access and bridge connectivity gaps across unserved and underserved rural communities.
The announcement was disclosed by the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, outlining the phased implementation of the presidential mandate to deploy 3,700 “green” telecommunications towers nationwide under the Nigeria Universal Communication Access Project (NUCAP).
The project—designed to connect over 20 million Nigerians currently lacking reliable network coverage—is entering its physical deployment phase following the finalization of capital mobilization, regulatory alignment, and technical approvals. The 200-site initial activation target acts as the opening phase of a broader multi-year infrastructure rollout designed to bring digital financial inclusion, mobile healthcare, and e-commerce services to hard-to-reach riverine and hinterland regions.
Key Highlights of the Digital Infrastructure Drive
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Initial 200-Site Activation Window: Fast-tracking the operational deployment of 200 rural towers before December 2026 to deliver immediate voice and broadband coverage to disconnected wards and local government areas.
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Phased 3,700 Tower Rollout: Formally launching the full installation phase of 3,700 environmentally sustainable “green” telecom towers starting in October 2026, aimed at providing permanent mobile coverage to 20 million citizens.
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Project BRIDGE Synergies: The tower deployment directly complements Project BRIDGE—the Federal Government’s flagship infrastructure project deploying 90,000 kilometres of fibre-optic network across all 774 local government areas to form Nigeria’s backbone digital architecture.
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Critical National Infrastructure Protection: Progress follows President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s executive designation of telecommunications assets as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), alongside tax harmonisation measures and slight tariff adjustments to incentivize private sector infrastructure co-investments.
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Macroeconomic Contribution: The digital economy now contributes nearly 20 percent to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with government policy targeting 21 percent by 2027 through strategic investments in infrastructure and technical talent programmes.
