By Ambrose Nnaji
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the rollout of 4,000 telecom towers nationwide in a major push to expand digital access and economic inclusion in Nigeria’s underserved communities.
Speaking after FEC meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Muhammed Idris, said the approval stemmed from a joint memo by the Ministry of Digital Communications and the Ministry of Finance.
Idris said the initiative would address the digital exclusion of an estimated 23 million Nigerians who currently lack reliable connectivity, limiting their participation in the economy, access to information, and basic communication.
“Under this programme, about 4,000 towers will be erected in underserved communities. These service centres for agricultural mechanisation and the digital economy will ensure that no community is left behind”, he said.
He noted that the lack of digital access in remote areas had slowed rural commerce and hindered national security efforts. The deployment of the towers, he said, would boost local economies, improve security communication systems, and support the federal government’s broader digital transformation drive.
“Indeed, this will also help in fighting insecurity and enhancing commerce and economic activity amongst the people of Nigeria,” the minister added.
Idris further disclosed that FEC had approved the establishment of agricultural mechanisation service centres across the six geopolitical zones to strengthen year-round farming and support food security. The decisions, he said, align with the medium-term expenditure framework presented earlier by the Ministers of Finance and Budget.
The initiatives are part of ongoing government reforms aimed at accelerating digital inclusion, strengthening rural economies, and modernising the agricultural sector.
