BY NKECHI NAECHE-ESEZOBOR—Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. ’Bosun Tijani, has reiterated that the planned deployment of 4,000 new telecommunications towers across underserved rural communities will help address critical vulnerabilities within the country’s telecoms ecosystem.
Speaking during a recent interview aired on Channels Television, the minister explained that the project is designed to eliminate network coverage blackspots that have been exploited by bandits, kidnappers and illegal Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) operators.
Tijani disclosed that the Federal Government will implement the telecoms infrastructure project in collaboration with Huawei Technologies, noting that the initiative is a key component of broader investments in digital infrastructure, including fibre deployment.
According to him, the rollout of the towers will deliver immediate benefits to rural dwellers by improving connectivity, stimulating local commerce and enhancing security surveillance in areas currently without network coverage.
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“It is why we are investing in fibre; it is why next year this project will start,” the minister said. “We are doing it with Huawei, 4,000 towers in rural areas.”
ConsumerConnect reports that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has already approved the collaborative effort between the Federal Government and Huawei.
The minister added that the additional telecoms towers are expected to significantly strengthen rural connectivity, support economic activities and improve security monitoring nationwide.
The development comes against the backdrop of previous security-driven telecoms shutdowns. In September 2021, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) directed mobile network operators to suspend services in Zamfara State due to worsening insecurity. At the time, the state government said the shutdown aided military operations against bandits and kidnappers.
Telecoms services were later partially restored in October 2021, beginning with the Gusau metropolis, following reported improvements in the security situation.
