The Federal Government will be investing in building 7,000 telecom towers across rural areas in the country to bridge connectivity gap.
The Minister of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani disclosed this on Thursday while briefing Statehouse Correspondents in Abuja.
The Minister explained that the approval for the construction of 7,000 new towers was granted by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) as part of a broader strategy to bridge the digital divide.
He said the investment will complement the ongoing deployment of 90,000 kilometers of fiber-optic cables across the country.
Digital inclusion
According to Tijani, the government is committed to ensuring that all Nigerians, especially those in underserved areas, have meaningful access to quality telecommunication services.
The Minister added that the decision to invest in rural infrastructure aligns with the administration’s broader goal of improving digital inclusion and economic opportunities for all citizens.
“The priority for this government is meaningful access. We don’t want our people to just have access to telecommunication services; we want it to be of high quality.
“That is why the NCC has been working thoroughly to ensure that we shift the focus not just to quality of service, but to quality of experience,” he said.
Tariff increase
Speaking on the recently approved tariff increase for telecom operators, Tijani said the approval became expedient to ensure sustainable and meaningful access to telecommunications services for Nigerians.
- Tijani described the decision to approve the tariff increase as challenging but necessary to balance the interests of citizens, businesses, and the economy.
- He emphasized the government’s responsibility to protect the telecom sector, which employs nearly half a million Nigerians directly and indirectly.
“We have to ensure that when telecom companies invest, we can keep them afloat. This is a sector that employs close to half a million people in this country, including the value chain,” Tijani said.
He explained that the government had to carefully weigh the need to keep telecom companies sustainable while ensuring that Nigerians continue to have access to affordable and high-quality services.
“It was quite a difficult decision, balancing the need to allow these businesses to be sustainable and stay afloat, but at the same time ensuring that every citizen can have access to telecommunication services,” the minister added.
KPMG study guided tariff adjustment
Tijani revealed that the Federal Government commissioned a study by KPMG, a global consulting firm, to determine the optimal tariff adjustment.
- He said the findings of the study led to the approval of the 50% tariff increase.
- Tijani noted that many Nigerians working with the telecom operators risked losing their jobs if the tariff increase was not approved, adding that that would not be the best thing for the economy.
- The minister stressed that the government’s priority is to ensure “meaningful access” to telecom services.
What you should know
Following the approval of a 50% tariff increase for the telecom operators on January 20, 2025, the operators have started implementing the new tariff.
Costs of data on MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile have gone up by at least 10%, while the cost of text message has been increased by 50% from N4.00 to N6.00.