Abuja: The Federal Government is aiming to activate at least 200 telecommunications towers in unconnected communities across the country by December. Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, announced this during the commissioning of the new headquarters of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the towers are part of the government’s National Unconnected Communities Access Programme (NUCAP), which plans to deploy about 3,700 telecommunications towers nationwide. The initiative is separate from the government’s 90,000-kilometre nationwide fibre optic network. The first tower has been deployed at Kura village near Abuja, with additional deployments extending to communities in the Niger Delta. The goal is to activate at least 200 sites by December, each serving communities of about 5,000 to 10,000 people, potentially connecting over 20 million Nigerians.
The Federal Government is also focused on strengthening satellite connectivity through the Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) for areas inaccessible by fibre or terrestrial telecommunications towers. Tijani noted that the ICT sector’s contribution to Nigeria’s GDP has increased to about 21 per cent and aims for a 25 per cent contribution if President Bola Tinubu’s administration secures a second term.
The NDPC headquarters, a property recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and allocated by Tinubu, symbolizes the transformation of an asset associated with corruption into an institution focused on protecting Nigerians and fostering trust in the digital economy. Tijani emphasized the importance of privacy, data governance, and responsible technology use amid increasing digitisation and AI adoption.
Dr. Vincent Olatunji, National Commissioner of the NDPC, highlighted the commission’s evolution from a small unit within the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to a full-fledged data protection authority. The Nigeria Data Protection Act, signed into law by President Tinubu on June 12, 2023, provides a stronger legal framework for the commission. Olatunji reported significant growth in the commission’s operations and staffing, with 98 per cent of staff now certified data protection officers and 356 Data Protection Compliance Organisations (DPCOs) licensed under its public-private partnership model.
The commission’s initiatives have generated over 27,000 jobs in three years and engaged more than 90,000 people through 220 training programmes. DPCOs have generated over N12 billion in revenue, and the data protection ecosystem’s value exceeds N18 billion. The NDPC has established data privacy clubs in universities and reached over 250,000 people through various programmes. It has signed 28 memoranda of understanding with international bodies and gained recognition as a leading data protection authority in Africa. The commission has been nominated for three awards at the upcoming Global Privacy Assembly in Brussels.
Olatunji described the new headquarters as Africa’s largest data protection office, with plans to commission a Lagos office by the end of 2026.