The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has partnered with the Association for Progressive Communications and other institutional stakeholders to tackle problems hindering rural network connectivity in Nigeria.
The partnership birthed a 2-day workshop hosted in Abuja between June 3 and 4, 2025.
The workshop focused on exploring a policy framework for enabling community networks towards bridging the digital divide and aiding socio-economic development in Nigeria’s underserved communities.
Speaking via a press statement, Ag. Head, Public Affairs at the NCC, Mrs. Nnenna Ukoha, said that the forum united regulators, community leaders, technical experts and potential foreign investors.
According to her, at the workshop, they highlighted policy and regulatory barriers, examined innovative funding mechanisms, generated renewable solutions and tightened partnership with stakeholders.
The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, who addressed participants at the workshop, revealed that the forum is key to bridging the digital divide in Nigeria and fostering inclusive social economic development.
He noted that the workshop is a platform for stakeholders to utilize their expertise, insights, and experiences to trigger better access, licensing and infrastructure development.
“This workshop is an opportunity for all of us to harness the expertise, insights, and experiences of diverse stakeholders present here which includes the regulators, community leaders, technical experts and potential foreign providers to address the critical challenges such as affordable devices, access, licensing, spectrum allocation, infrastructure development, sustainability and institutional monitoring.
At NCC, we recognise the transformative potential of community center networks in achieving this important goal,” he said.
Co-Manager of the Association for Progressive Communications’ Local Network (LocNet) initiative, Kathleen Diga, stated that the collaboration will help to overcome all of the obstacles working against digital inclusion.
She concluded by saying the forum is a key space that welcomes the exchange of transformative ideas.
“This is a space where we can be open and exchange ideas of possibilities, opportunities that will remain in realising values of a diversified ecosystem.
I believe this workshop presents a moment in time that we can explore the bottom-up approach in local communities, small social enterprises, corporative among others, which have the ability to fill some of the digital gaps that remain unfilled,” she added.
