The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in collaboration with the Association for Progressive Communications and other institutional stakeholders are addressing challenges confronting rural network connectivity in Nigeria.
In a statement, Mrs. Nnenna Ukoha, Ag. Head, Public Affairs said the decision was reached at after a two-day workshop hosted in Abuja from June 3-4, 2025.
The meeting agreed to explore policy framework for enabling community networks towards bridging the digital divide and accelerating socio-economic development in Nigeria’s underserved and unserved communities.
“The forum brought together regulators, community leaders, technical experts and potential foreign investors, among others, to examine policy and regulatory barriers, explore innovative funding mechanisms, ensure sustainable renewable solutions and strengthen collaboration with stakeholders,” Mrs Ukoha stated.
Addressing participants at the workshop, the Executive Vice-Chairman of NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, said the workshop aims to bridge the digital divide in Nigeria and foster inclusive social economic development.
“This workshop is an opportunity for all of us to harness the expertise, insights, and experiences of diverse stakeholders present here which includes the regulators, community leaders, technical experts and potential foreign providers to address the critical challenges such as affordable devices, access, licensing, spectrum allocation, infrastructure development, sustainability and institutional monitoring,” said Maida, who was represented by the Executive-Commissioner, Technical Services, NCC, Abraham Oshadami, during the workshop.
Maida said the workshop demonstrates the Commission’s commitment to advancing digital inclusion, particularly in underserved and unserved areas.
“At NCC, we recognise the transformative potential of community center networks in achieving this important goal,” he said.
The EVC said the NCC was committed to “this journey and views this workshop as a catalyst for meaningful change,” stating that the expertise, perspectives and commitments will shape the future where every Nigerian, regardless of his or her status, will have meaningful access to opportunities from digital connectivity.
In her remarks, Co-manager of the Association for Progressive Communications’ Local Network (LocNet) initiative, Kathleen Diga, stated that the collaboration was to tackle identified hindrances to digital inclusion.
“This is a space where we can be open and exchange ideas of possibilities, opportunities that will remain in realising values of a diversified ecosystem.
“I believe this workshop presents a moment in time that we can explore the bottom-up approach in local communities, small social enterprises, corporative among others, which have the ability to fill some of the digital gaps that remain unfilled,” she said.
She emphasised the need to recognise that community centre connectivity exists and they are grow throughout the global south, which, she said, are a “strategic response to digital exclusion.”
The workshop featured presentations from the NCC, the Association for Progressive Communications and other institutional stakeholders such as the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The Association for Progressive Communications is a 35-year-old international network member-based organisation encouraging digital inclusion in the unserved communities, particularly with communities in the global south and the workshop, through its LocNet initiative aimed at crafting an enabling inclusive regulatory framework for community networks in Nigeria.
