NCC and REA Partner to Power Nigeria’s Digital Expansion with Renewables
By Ikpeme Patience
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to fast‑track deployment of sustainable digital infrastructure across Nigeria by integrating renewable energy with telecommunications assets.
Sealed at the NCC–REA Stakeholder Workshop in Abuja on July 24, 2026, the agreement aims to align telecommunications and rural electrification efforts through coordinated planning, shared infrastructure and off‑grid renewable solutions.
The workshop titled “Unlocking the Energy Telecoms Nexus for Scalable Digital Infrastructure in Nigeria”, brought together regulators, telecom operators, tower companies, renewable developers, financiers and development partners to map practical steps for expanding connectivity in underserved areas.
Represented by Executive Commissioner, Technical Services Engr. Abraham Oshadami, NCC Executive Vice Chairman/CEO Dr. Aminu Maida described the partnership as “a major milestone in Nigeria’s drive towards inclusive digital connectivity and energy access.” Oshadami added: “Reliable electricity and digital connectivity are not two separate development goals. They are mutually reinforcing foundations of the same objective that produces an inclusive and productive economy.”
Under the MoU, the REA will supply geospatial data on existing and planned electrification projects while the NCC will share data on Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) deployments. The data exchange will enable both agencies to jointly identify energy and connectivity gaps and prioritise co‑located solutions such as powering base stations and fibre repeater sites from REA mini‑grids and siting telecom infrastructure on REA energy assets where feasible—to lower deployment costs and improve operational efficiency.
“Renewable energy mini‑grids provide a cleaner and more sustainable alternative to diesel‑powered telecom sites,” said the REA Managing Director (represented at the event by Engr. Umar Abdullahi Umar). “Reliable power and universal connectivity are not competing priorities. They are the same priority, approached from two directions. Where we deliver them together, the cost of each falls and the reach of both extends.”
Panels at the workshop examined geospatial analysis, pilot project opportunities, financing models, and policy and regulatory enablers. Oshadami urged the industry to move beyond rhetorical support: “Stakeholders must identify practical financing mechanisms, commercial models and regulatory measures capable of translating the initiative into sustainable, large‑scale projects.”
The MoU signals a coordinated government push to support the Federal Government’s digital economy and rural development goals by improving infrastructure planning, expanding broadband, encouraging renewable uptake in telecom networks, and delivering resilient, scalable digital infrastructure to drive socioeconomic development across Nigeria.
