The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has raised fresh concerns over the widening digital divide between rural and urban communities in Nigeria, revealing that only 23 percent of rural areas have access to the internet compared to 57 percent in urban regions.
Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, disclosed this in Lagos during the Rural Connectivity Summit organized by the Rural Connectivity Initiative, noting that the disparity in internet access continues to hinder inclusive growth and national development.
Dr. Maida, who delivered a keynote address titled “Leaving Nobody Behind: Leveraging Regulatory Advantages to Bridge Nigeria’s Digital Divide,” described the lack of connectivity in rural regions as both a development challenge and a national security risk.
“A community without digital connectivity is functionally invisible—cut off from modern education, healthcare, markets, and opportunity,” he said. “This digital invisibility is unacceptable, and we must act decisively to end it.”
According to him, Nigeria’s broadband penetration currently stands at 48.81 percent, and studies have shown that a 10 percent increase in broadband access can raise the country’s GDP by up to 1.38 percent, highlighting the strong link between connectivity and economic growth.
Dr. Maida explained that through the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), the NCC has been implementing strategic interventions to extend broadband and mobile access to underserved and unserved areas. He mentioned initiatives such as the Rural Broadband Initiative (RUBI) and the Accelerated Mobile Phone Expansion (AMPE), which are focused on infrastructure deployment in commercially non-viable locations.
“So far, the USPF has executed more than 2,500 education-related projects and distributed over 100,000 computers to schools nationwide,” he added.
The NCC boss also highlighted the commission’s e-health and accessibility programmes, which connect remote health centres with larger hospitals for telemedicine and provide assistive technologies for people with disabilities.
Commending the progress made by several state governments on Right-of-Way (RoW) charges, Maida acknowledged 11 states that have adopted zero charges and 17 others implementing the N145-per-linear-metre benchmark. He encouraged the remaining states to adopt similar policies to reduce deployment costs and accelerate broadband rollout across the nation.
On the issue of infrastructure vandalism, Dr. Maida expressed deep concern over the rising attacks on telecom facilities. “Between January and August 2025 alone, operators recorded over 19,000 fibre cuts and more than 3,000 cases of equipment theft,” he revealed. “These acts not only disrupt services but also undermine investments and affect millions of users nationwide.”
Reaffirming the NCC’s commitment to achieving universal and meaningful connectivity, Maida called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, telecom operators, and local communities to protect network infrastructure, expand broadband coverage, and unlock the vast economic potential of rural Nigeria.