. As Tijani commissions first NUCAP site in Abia
. Kalu identifies 16 more locations needing coverage in Bende
By Steve Oko
UMUAHIA — The Federal Government has unveiled plans to deploy 3,700 telecommunications towers nationwide to connect about 20 million Nigerians currently without access to telephone and internet services.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, disclosed this on Friday while commissioning a telecommunications tower under the National Universal Communications Access Programme (NUCAP) in Bende, Abia State.
Tijani said the Bende facility was the first site being commissioned under the national initiative aimed at extending reliable telecommunications and broadband services to unserved and underserved communities.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given us a clear mandate: work towards bringing every Nigerian online. Through NUCAP, we are delivering 3,700 telecommunications towers across Nigeria. Today, we are commissioning the first of these sites here. More will follow across the country in the coming days, weeks and months,” he said.
The minister said the project was designed to bridge the digital divide and ensure that geographical location did not prevent Nigerians from accessing opportunities.
According to him, rural farmers should be able to contact buyers without struggling to find network signals, while traders should not lose sales because customers cannot make electronic transfers.
He also said families should be able to contact loved ones and seek emergency assistance without the difficulties associated with poor network coverage.
Tijani urged residents to see the telecommunications tower as an investment whose benefits would extend beyond immediate connectivity to education, commerce, skills acquisition and improved social interaction.
Drawing an analogy between the tower and a tree, he said its benefits would grow over time, creating opportunities for farmers to find new markets, young people to acquire digital skills, traders to secure orders from other towns and families to communicate more easily.
He assured that the intervention in Bende would not end with the commissioning of the first facility, adding that the Federal Government would continue working with Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, network operators and community leaders to reach other unconnected communities.
Speaking at the event, Kalu described reliable telecommunications connectivity as a critical requirement for financial inclusion, education and effective healthcare delivery, particularly in rural communities.
He said that although reliable network service might appear ordinary to people who enjoyed it daily, its absence could deny rural residents economic opportunities and access to essential services.
“For a rural trader whose payment repeatedly fails, a student who cannot join an online lesson, or a family struggling to contact a doctor, it is anything but ordinary. It can determine whether an opportunity is secured or lost,” Kalu said.
The Deputy Speaker noted that financial inclusion increasingly depended on reliable telecommunications infrastructure, as mobile banking applications, electronic transfers and agent banking services required dependable network coverage.
He explained that poor connectivity could prevent traders from confirming payments, make it difficult for farmers to receive money for their produce and deny households access to funds sent by relatives.
According to him, improved connectivity, combined with affordable services, financial literacy and consumer protection, would help more rural residents participate in the formal economy.
On education, Kalu said the facility would expand learning opportunities beyond the physical classroom, enabling pupils to access online lessons and educational materials while helping teachers improve their skills through wider learning resources.
He added that young people in Bende would be better positioned to apply for scholarships, acquire digital skills and explore opportunities without travelling elsewhere simply to access a network signal.
“The talent is already here in Bende. We must provide the connections through which that talent can grow,” he said.
Kalu also identified healthcare as a major beneficiary of the intervention, noting that reliable connectivity would enable health workers to consult specialists, exchange medical information securely and coordinate referrals for patients in remote communities.
He further linked the project to civic engagement and public safety, saying residents needed access to accurate information and reliable channels to communicate with their representatives, while electoral and emergency personnel required dependable communication networks.
Describing Bende’s location and proximity to neighbouring states as an advantage, the Deputy Speaker said improved connectivity would facilitate trade, movement and relationships among communities beyond the constituency.
He, however, disclosed that 16 additional locations requiring telecommunications intervention had been identified in Bende Federal Constituency.
Kalu urged the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and its implementing partners to work with his office and community leaders to validate the locations, assess coverage gaps and establish a clear programme for extending services to them.
He stressed that the success of the intervention would depend not only on installing towers but also on ensuring reliable service, adequate power supply, regular maintenance and prompt repairs when faults occurred.
The Deputy Speaker expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy for the initiative and for choosing Bende for the commissioning.
He also commended Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, for supporting federal development efforts in the state, assuring that he would continue to collaborate with the state government to accelerate development.
Kalu called on traditional rulers and Presidents-General of town unions to protect the telecommunications infrastructure against vandalism, describing it as a critical national asset whose benefits should be safeguarded for present and future generations.
The event featured a live demonstration of e-learning at Bende Grammar School using the newly deployed infrastructure and the distribution of mobile phones to constituents.
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