Abia/Abuja — The Federal Government has officially launched the Nigeria Universal Communication Access Project (NUCAP), a major rural internet and telecommunications initiative aimed at bridging the digital divide for millions of Nigerians living in unserved and underserved communities.
On Friday, 16 October 2026, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, commissioned the first telecommunications tower under the project at Umuorie village in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State.
The event marked the beginning of a nationwide rollout of approximately 3,700 telecom towers designed to extend reliable mobile and broadband services to rural and riverine communities.
Tijani described NUCAP as a flagship digital inclusion programme aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s directive that every unserved part of the country must be connected to the internet. He said the project would deliver connectivity to nearly 20 million Nigerians currently without adequate access to mobile networks and the internet.
“Through the Nigeria Universal Communication Access Project, which is the project we are launching today, we are delivering 3,700 of the towers across the entire country. But today, we are commissioning the first of these sites here in Bende. And more of it will come in so many parts of Nigeria,” the minister stated.
He highlighted the expected socio-economic benefits, noting that improved connectivity would support education, healthcare, agriculture, commerce and electoral processes, including the use of bimodal voter accreditation technology. Tijani added that every community in Bende Federal Constituency is expected to be connected before Christmas.
The initiative is being implemented in partnership with stakeholders, including Global Independent Connect Limited (GICL), a subsidiary of IHS Towers, which is supporting the deployment of rural infrastructure alongside public Wi-Fi and Smart Village solutions. Initial sites are planned across Abia, Delta, Enugu, Plateau, Katsina and Ogun States.
NUCAP forms part of a broader federal digital infrastructure push that includes Project BRIDGE, a multi-billion-dollar programme to lay about 90,000 kilometres of fibre-optic cable to expand the national backbone. Government estimates indicate that more than 20 to 33 million Nigerians remain offline or lack meaningful connectivity, with rural areas particularly affected.
The minister emphasised that the project is designed as a “green” telecommunications network, incorporating sustainable power solutions to ensure reliable service in areas with limited electricity. At least 200 towers are targeted for activation before the end of 2026, with each site expected to serve communities of between 5,000 and 10,000 people.
Officials say the rollout will continue across the country in the coming weeks and months as the government intensifies efforts to ensure no community is left behind in Nigeria’s digital economy.
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