NCC, Stakeholders Move to Address Rural Connectivity Challenges
By Patience Ikpeme
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has teamed up with the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) and other institutional stakeholders to tackle the persistent challenges of rural network connectivity across Nigeria.
This collaboration led to the hosting of a two-day workshop in Abuja from June 3 to 4, 2025, focusing on the development of policy frameworks to support community networks aimed at closing Nigeria’s digital divide and advancing socio-economic development in underserved and unserved areas.
According to a statement issued by the Acting Head of Public Affairs at the NCC, Mrs. Nnenna Ukoha, the forum brought together a diverse range of participants, including regulators, community leaders, technical experts, and potential foreign investors. Discussions centred on overcoming policy and regulatory barriers, exploring innovative funding options, promoting sustainable renewable energy solutions, and enhancing stakeholder collaboration.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida—represented by the Executive Commissioner for Technical Services, Mr. Abraham Oshadami—stated that the workshop was crucial in tackling issues impeding digital inclusion.
“This workshop presents an opportunity for all of us to draw on the insights and experiences of stakeholders—regulators, community leaders, technical experts, and potential foreign investors—to address critical challenges such as access to affordable devices, licensing, spectrum allocation, infrastructure development, sustainability, and institutional monitoring,” Maida said.
He further noted that the NCC sees community networks as key to expanding digital access to all Nigerians, particularly those living in rural and remote areas.
“At the NCC, we recognise the transformative potential of community networks and view this initiative as a step toward ensuring that every Nigerian, regardless of location or economic status, can benefit from digital connectivity,” he said.
Also speaking at the workshop, Kathleen Diga, Co-manager of the APC’s Local Network (LocNet) initiative, said the collaboration was aimed at tackling long-standing barriers to digital inclusion.
“This is a space where we can openly exchange ideas, explore possibilities, and identify opportunities to strengthen a diversified digital ecosystem,” she said.
Diga added that the workshop provides a platform to explore bottom-up solutions through local communities, social enterprises, and cooperatives. These local efforts, she noted, could play a pivotal role in addressing digital gaps that large-scale operators often overlook.
“Community connectivity initiatives are expanding across the global south as a strategic response to digital exclusion,” she said.
Presentations were delivered by representatives of the NCC, APC, the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), all geared toward crafting a unified policy direction to address the rural digital divide.
The Association for Progressive Communications, a 35-year-old international network of organisations and activists, works to promote digital inclusion, particularly in underserved communities in the global south. Its LocNet initiative, under which the workshop was organised, seeks to establish a regulatory environment that supports inclusive and community-driven connectivity efforts in Nigeria.
