In recent years, broadband penetration has been growing significantly, bringing millions more Nigerians online and enabling new opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital inclusion.
However, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, the minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, is concerned that under the Universal Access provisioning, more than twenty million (20 million) Nigerians are still on the fringes of digital transformation who are yet to have access to reliable connectivity.
Universal access means ensuring that everyone, regardless of their background or abilities, has equal opportunity and access to services and products that benefit them.
Dr. Tijani, speaking at a-day Industry-focused Stakeholder’s Engagement Session of the USPF held in Lagos in collaboration with the ITU and supported by the UK FCDO.
With a focus on ‘Fostering Connectivity in Unserved and Underserved Communities: Collaborating for Sustainable Growth’, the Minister said that over the last 25 years, Nigeria has made significant strides in expanding connectivity and strengthening our digital technology infrastructure.
“In recent years, broadband penetration has been growing significantly, bringing millions more Nigerians online and enabling new opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital inclusion.
“Today however, there are still millions of Nigerians on the fringes of digital transformation who are yet to have access to reliable connectivity.
“Many communities—particularly rural areas—face significant barriers, including inadequate infrastructure and limited digital literacy. These gaps not only hinder personal and business growth but also limit the full potential of Nigeria’s digital economy”.
He thus, described the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) a critical instrument in the Federal Government’s mission to extend connectivity to these communities.
“By supportinginfrastructureexpansion,fosteringlocalinnovation,anddrivinginclusive policies, the USPF aligns with the His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR)’s goal of enabling meaningful and affordable connectivity for all Nigerians. The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, is also actively driving transformative projects aimed at unlocking digital opportunities for millions of Nigerians.
He enumerated some of the flagship initiatives to close this divide, as;
“Project BRIDGE (90,000km Fibre Optic Expansion) which is designed to significantly improve broadband penetration across Nigeria by extending fibre optic infrastructure to all regions.
“Project 774: This initiative ensures that every local government secretariat in Nigeria benefits from high-speed connectivity, fostering grassroots digital transformation.
“The Universal Access Project (Nigeria): A game-changing initiative targeted at connecting over 20 million Nigerians who currently have no access to digital services.
“The National Broadband Alliance of Nigeria (NBAN): Our multi-stakeholder effort to drive collaboration across government and private sector to drive universal high quality broadband access
“The 3 Million Technical Talent programme (3MTT): Which is strengthening our talent pipeline to deliver a workforce to improve the digital ecosystem.
He said these projects are not just focussed on infrastructure; but also about enabling businesses, empowering individuals, and unlocking the full economic potential of Nigeria’s digital landscape as we work towards a 1 Trillion Dollar Economy”
“However, bridging this digital divide is not a task for the government alone.
“Sustainable and impactful progress requires strong partnerships across the public and private sectors, development agencies, civil society, and local communities.
To ensure effective collaboration, he said stakeholders must focus on four key pillars: Community engagement; leveraging existing infrastructure; capacity building, and sustainable solutions.
Earlier, Dr. Aminu Maida, the EVC/CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission said that the engagement, themed: ‘Strengthening Partnership for Sustainable Telecommunication Infrastructure in the Unserved and Underserved Communities: Collaborating for Sustainable Growth,’ reflects the Commission’s commitment to ensuring equitable access to telecommunications services for all Nigerians, especially those in unserved and underserved communities.
He also urged all stakeholders to take decisive steps toward strengthening partnerships and innovations tailored to address local challenges/needs and align with current realities.
“Let us harness our collective expertise, resources, and innovative capabilities to build a resilient and sustainable telecommunication infrastructure that will empower millions of Nigerians. We must remember that collaboration remains the cornerstone of sustainable development in this sector”, he said.
