The Federal Government has announced plans to erect 4,000 new telecommunication towers across the country to connect an estimated 20 million Nigerians who currently lack access to mobile networks.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, disclosed this on Wednesday at the ongoing Digital Nigeria International Conference 2025 in Abuja.
According to Tijani, the new infrastructure forms part of a World Bank-backed broadband expansion programme that will deliver about 90,000 kilometres of open-access fibre network — described as the most extensive of its kind in any developing nation.
He said the project, already included in the National Assembly’s approved borrowing plan, demonstrates the administration’s resolve to build a digitally inclusive economy and close the connectivity gap in remote and underserved communities.
Tijani highlighted that the ICT sector continues to play a pivotal role in Nigeria’s economic diversification efforts, contributing around 19 per cent to the nation’s GDP — a share projected to soon surpass that of the oil and gas industry.
He added that Nigeria’s growing technology ecosystem has positioned the country as Africa’s innovation hub, producing five of the continent’s nine technology unicorns — firms valued at over $1 billion — thanks to ongoing reforms and private sector dynamism.
Earlier, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Dr Kashifu Abdullahi, commended the government’s drive to empower young Nigerians through digital innovation.
He said the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda prioritises economic diversification and inclusive growth, with digital transformation serving as a cornerstone for achieving national development goals.
