20 Million Nigerians Without Reliable Connectivity: FG Starts 3,700-Tower Push

For millions of Nigerians, the internet is not always a tap away.

Sometimes, there is no network. Sometimes, the signal disappears when you need it most.

And in some communities, the problem is not slow internet. There is simply no reliable connection.

The Federal Government now says it will activate at least 200 new telecommunications sites before December as part of a much larger plan to deploy about 3,700 towers across Nigeria.

The project is expected to reach more than 20 million Nigerians living in communities without adequate telecommunications services.

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, disclosed the plan in Abuja. He said each tower could serve between 5,000 and 10,000 people.

The first site has already been deployed at Kura village near Abuja, while deployment has expanded to communities in the Niger Delta.

What does being offline really mean?

It is easy to hear “20 million Nigerians” and move on. But behind that number are people trying to live in an economy that increasingly assumes everyone is connected.

A student may need the internet to apply for a scholarship. A farmer may need market information. A trader may need mobile banking. A job seeker may need to submit an application. A small business owner may need WhatsApp to reach customers. A patient may need to contact a hospital. A young person may be trying to learn a skill that could change his or her life.

When the network disappears, all these opportunities become harder.

Connectivity is therefore no longer simply a matter of entertainment. It is becoming part of basic economic infrastructure.

Nigeria’s digital economy cannot leave villages behind

Nigeria has invested heavily in its digital economy. Fintech has exploded. Online businesses have grown. Digital banking has transformed how millions of people move money. Artificial intelligence is creating new opportunities. Remote work has opened another path for young Nigerians.

But there is a contradiction. You cannot build a serious digital economy while millions of citizens remain outside reliable connectivity.

That is why the 3,700-tower project matters. It is not simply a telecoms project. It is an attempt to extend the economic benefits of the digital age to places that the market may not reach quickly enough on its own.

But towers alone will not solve the problem

This is where the government must be judged carefully.

Building 200 sites before December will make for an impressive announcement. Keeping them working will matter more.

A tower without reliable power is a problem. A tower without adequate backhaul is a problem. A tower that becomes too expensive for users to afford solves only part of the problem.

And a community that gets a signal but still lacks affordable smartphones and digital skills remains only partly connected.

The government therefore needs to measure the project beyond the number of towers installed. Are the towers working?

How many people actually connect to them? How reliable is the service? What happens when equipment fails? Who maintains the infrastructure? What happens to communities that remain outside the network?

Those are the questions that will determine whether the project becomes infrastructure or simply another government statistic.

Satellite technology may fill the gaps

The government is also looking at satellite connectivity through the Nigerian Communications Satellite, particularly for areas that terrestrial towers and fibre networks cannot easily reach.

That is important.

Nigeria is too large and geographically diverse to depend on one technology.

Some communities will be easier to reach with fibre. Others may need towers.

Remote locations may require satellite connections.

The smartest approach is therefore not to ask which technology will win. It is to use whatever technology gets Nigerians connected reliably and affordably.

The bigger test is opportunity

The minister said the ICT sector’s contribution to Nigeria’s GDP has risen to about 21 per cent, from between 16 and 18 per cent when the current administration assumed office.

He also said the government is targeting 25 per cent if President Bola Tinubu’s administration secures another term.

Those figures point to the larger ambition.

Nigeria wants technology to become a bigger part of the economy. But the digital economy cannot become a national success story if participation remains concentrated around major cities.

A farmer in a remote community should have a chance to use digital tools. A student should not lose an opportunity because there is no network. A small business should not be forced to relocate before it can operate online.

That is what makes the 20 million figure important.It is not merely a connectivity target.It is an opportunity target.

ValidViewNetwork reports that the Federal Government’s plan to activate 200 new telecom sites before December is an important test of whether Nigeria’s digital transformation can reach beyond the usual urban centres.

The success of the programme should therefore be measured not only in towers.It should be measured in students connected, businesses enabled, jobs created, services accessed and communities brought into the formal digital economy.

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Nigeria has spent years talking about becoming a digital economy.

The next question is much simpler. Can the Nigerian who currently has no signal finally get one?