The Federal Government plans to activate at least 200 new telecom sites before December as part of a wider project to connect over 20 million Nigerians in underserved communities.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, disclosed this yesterday at the commissioning of the new headquarters of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission in Abuja.
According to him, the sites are part of 3,700 planned telecom towers, with the first already deployed in Kura Village near Abuja and work underway in the Niger Delta.
The government is also investing in a 90,000km fibre-optic network and upgrading Nigeria’s communications satellite to extend coverage to areas beyond fibre and tower reach.
Tijani said the ICT sector now contributes about 21% to GDP, up from 16–18%, with a target of reaching 25% through stronger connectivity, digital literacy, cybersecurity, and data protection.
Meanwhile, NDPC chief Vincent Olatunji said the commission has licensed 356 data protection organisations, generated over ₦12bn in revenue, and helped create more than 27,000 jobs in three years.
He added that the commission’s virtual privacy academy has trained over 66,000 Nigerians, while more than 99,370 people have benefited from its various training programmes.
NDPC Head of Administration Watira Fitto said the new Mbora District headquarters, with about 56 offices, marks a major step in the commission’s growth after four relocations in four years.