FG commissions first of 3,700 rural telecom towers in Abia: what it means for you

The Federal Government has commissioned the first tower of its 3,700-tower rural telecoms project, the Nigeria Universal Communication Access Project (NUCAP), in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State on Friday, 16 October 2026.

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, says the project will bring phone and internet signal to nearly 20 million Nigerians who now have none. “Through NUCAP, we are delivering 3,700 towers across the country. Today we are commissioning the first here in Bende,” he said at the launch, THISDAY reported.

Why does it matter?

Without a signal, people cannot make calls, receive transfers or reach help in an emergency. “Imagine going a whole day without a phone signal. You cannot call your family, you can’t receive a payment, and if someone needs urgent help, you cannot make that call,” Tijani said in a post on X, TheCable reported.

In September he said each tower would serve communities of 5,000 to 10,000 people. “These are people that are currently unconnected,” he said, Vanguard reported.

Who is building it and who is paying?

The Bende tower was delivered by Global Independent Connect Limited (GICL), a subsidiary of IHS Towers, and the project is funded through the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), THISDAY reported. Tijani thanked IHS, Huawei and MTN for their roles.

In June, Tijani said China Industrial Bank had committed to support the project, in what Nairametrics reported was the bank’s first investment in Nigeria. None of the reports gave a cost for NUCAP.

The project will also bring public Wi-Fi and “Smart Village” services, starting with seven pilot locations in Abia, Delta, Enugu, Plateau, Katsina and Ogun states, THISDAY reported.

How has the timetable changed?

A GistMatrix review of the minister’s public statements this year shows how the target for 2026 has moved:

• June 2026: Tijani spoke of an ambition of “delivering a minimum of 1,000 tower sites by the end of this year”, in a post on X reported by Nairametrics.
• September 2026: he said the government would activate at least 200 towers by December, Vanguard reported.
• 16 October 2026: the first site was commissioned in Bende. “More will follow across the country in the coming days, weeks and months,” he said, Vanguard reported.

No completion date for all 3,700 towers has been announced.

What does it mean for you?

• In Bende: “Before Christmas, every community in Bende will be connected,” Tijani said, The Sun reported. The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who represents Bende, urged the government to extend the programme to 16 more locations in the area that need coverage.
• If your community has no signal: Tijani said communities without network coverage that are not in the deployment plan can report their locations to the ministry for consideration, TheCable reported.
• Keeping it working: Kalu said the benefits will depend on sustained maintenance, adequate power supply and prompt repairs when faults occur. Tijani urged residents to protect the tower and report faults.

What happens next

• More sites: watch for the next towers to be switched on, and for the ministry to publish which communities are on the list.
• The December target: check whether at least 200 towers are active by the end of the year, as the minister said in September.
• Bende: whether every community there is connected before Christmas, as promised.

Does your town or village still have no network? Tell GistMatrix where you are, and send us a photo or video of how you find a signal.