The Federal Government has announced plans to activate at least 200 new telecommunications sites before December as part of a nationwide infrastructure project aimed at providing improved connectivity to more than 20 million Nigerians currently without adequate telecom services.

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, disclosed this on Monday during the commissioning of the new headquarters of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission in Abuja.

Tijani said the new sites were part of the government’s broader plan to deploy 3,700 telecommunications towers nationwide, with priority given to underserved and unserved communities.

“Before December, at least 200 of those sites will be active,” the minister said.

He said each tower was expected to serve communities with populations ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 people, potentially extending connectivity to more than 20 million Nigerians across the country.

“Each of those towers will serve communities of about 5,000 to 10,000 people. These are people that are currently unconnected. So, at the end of this project, we will be reaching over 20 million Nigerians,” Tijani said.

Tijani said the project was launched following President Bola Tinubu’s directive to expand telecommunications coverage to communities that remain unconnected to Nigeria’s digital infrastructure.

He disclosed that the first tower had been deployed in Kura Village, near Abuja, while deployment activities had also begun in the Niger Delta.

Tijani said the project was launched following President Bola Tinubu’s directive to expand telecommunications coverage to communities that remain unconnected to Nigeria’s digital infrastructure.

He disclosed that the first tower had been deployed in Kura Village, near Abuja, while deployment activities had also begun in the Niger Delta.

“For places where fibre cannot reach, where towers cannot reach, NIGCOMSAT will now be able to reach those locations,” Tijani said.

He said the Information and Communications Technology sector’s contribution to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product had increased to about 21 per cent, from between 16 and 18 per cent when the current administration assumed office.

Tijani said the government should target raising the sector’s contribution to 25 per cent, noting that expanded connectivity must be matched with improved digital literacy, stronger cybersecurity and effective data protection.