The Federal Government has unveiled plans to activate at least 200 new telecommunications sites before the end of the year as part of an ambitious programme aimed at bringing digital connectivity to millions of Nigerians currently without access to reliable telecom services.

Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, announced the plan on Monday during the commissioning of the new headquarters of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) in Abuja.

According to the minister, the sites form part of a broader national initiative to deploy 3,700 telecommunications towers across underserved and unserved communities, a move expected to significantly expand access to mobile and internet services in remote parts of the country.

“Before December, at least 200 of those sites will be active,” Tijani said.

He explained that each tower is designed to serve communities with populations ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 residents, many of whom currently lack access to basic telecommunications infrastructure.

When fully implemented, the project is expected to connect more than 20 million Nigerians who remain outside the reach of existing telecom networks.

“Each of those towers will serve communities of about 5,000 to 10,000 people. These are people that are currently unconnected. So, at the end of this project, we will be reaching over 20 million Nigerians,” the minister stated.

Tijani said the initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to ensure that communities left behind in Nigeria’s digital transformation are brought into the country’s growing technology ecosystem.

He revealed that the first telecommunications tower under the programme has already been deployed in Kura Village on the outskirts of Abuja, while similar projects are currently underway in parts of the Niger Delta region.

Beyond the deployment of telecom towers, the minister disclosed that the Federal Government is investing heavily in broadband infrastructure through the rollout of a 90,000-kilometre fibre optic network intended to improve internet access nationwide.

He also announced that President Tinubu had approved the upgrade of Nigeria’s communications satellite, a move expected to provide connectivity to difficult-to-reach locations where conventional fibre optic cables and telecom towers may not be feasible.

“For places where fibre cannot reach, where towers cannot reach, NIGCOMSAT will now be able to reach those locations,” Tijani said.

The minister highlighted the growing importance of technology in the nation’s economy, noting that the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector now contributes about 21 per cent to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), compared to between 16 and 18 per cent when the current administration assumed office.

He expressed optimism that the sector could contribute as much as 25 per cent to the economy in the coming years if ongoing investments in connectivity and digital infrastructure are sustained.

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However, Tijani stressed that expanding internet access alone would not be enough to drive digital transformation.

According to him, increased connectivity must be accompanied by stronger efforts in digital literacy, cybersecurity and data protection to ensure that Nigerians can safely participate in the digital economy.

“As we bring more people online, we also have to ensure that we can protect them as well. And that is why digital literacy, cybersecurity and data protection are all critical pillars of the growth of our digital economy in Nigeria,” he said.

At the event, the National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Dr Vincent Olatunji, highlighted the agency’s achievements since its establishment.

He disclosed that the commission has licensed 356 Data Protection Compliance Organisations (DPCOs), helping to strengthen compliance with data protection regulations across the country.

According to Olatunji, the activities of the commission and its licensed partners have contributed to the creation of more than 27,000 jobs within the last three years.

“Through the activities of these DPCOs and our own work, we were able to create 27,000-plus jobs within three years,” he said.

The NDPC boss further revealed that the commission had generated more than ₦12 billion in revenue over the same period, while Nigeria’s broader data privacy and protection industry is now valued at over ₦18 billion.

He added that the commission’s virtual privacy academy has trained more than 66,000 Nigerians, while over 220 capacity-building programmes have reached nearly 100,000 participants from various sectors of the economy.

Earlier, the NDPC’s Head of People Management and Administration, Mrs Watira Fitto, described the commissioning of the new headquarters as a major milestone in the commission’s institutional growth.

She noted that the agency had experienced rapid expansion, moving from fewer than three office spaces within the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to its new permanent headquarters in Abuja’s Mbora District, which now accommodates about 56 offices.

For the Federal Government, the expansion of telecommunications infrastructure, broadband access and data protection capabilities represents a key pillar of its digital economy strategy, with officials hopeful that connecting millions of currently unserved Nigerians will unlock new opportunities for education, business, innovation and economic growth across the country.