FG approves 4,000 telecom towers to boost rural connectivity, security

File Photo: Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.

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The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday approved the deployment of 4,000 telecommunications towers to underserved communities across Nigeria, a move it says will boost national security and close the rural connectivity gap.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this to State House correspondents after the council’s meeting at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

Announcing the decision, Idris said, “The Federal Executive Council has taken a decision that 4,000 of such towers be established or erected in these very underserved communities across this country.

“Indeed, this will also help in fighting insecurity and enhancing commerce and economic activity amongst the people of those communities.”

He explained further, saying, “Under that programme, about 4,000 towers will be erected in underserved communities.

“The presentation of the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy indicates that about 23 million Nigerians are currently underserved, meaning that they are unable to do any form of communication due to the absence of some of these towers.

“The rollout is expected to significantly improve rural connectivity, stimulate commerce and enhance security surveillance in areas currently lacking network coverage.”

Basic voice and data coverage still fades out across large swathes of rural areas in Nigeria, leaving millions without reliable access to emergency services or digital payments.

Security agencies also depend on working base stations for 112/761 emergency calls, cell-site triangulation, and real-time coordination in hard-to-reach areas.

Poor coverage, exacerbated by vandalism, high diesel costs, and multiple right-of-way/permit levies, has long hindered both policing and local commerce.

On Wednesday, November 27, President Bola Tinubu declared a nationwide security emergency in the wake of a spate of abductions, announcing measures including the recruitment of 20,000 additional police officers, the deployment of forest guards, and tighter protection of schools, churches and mosques in vulnerable areas.

Telecom operators have since pushed for harmonised right-of-way fees, protecting sites from vandalism, powering them with hybrid solar systems, and co-locating towers to cut costs.

At Wednesday’s briefing, Idris also detailed the council’s approval of new agricultural mechanisation service centres across all six geopolitical zones.

These centres, he said, will “support and boost agricultural mechanisation that will in turn also improve all year-round farming across communities in Nigeria.”

On the health front, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, highlighted new milestones in the country’s vaccination campaigns.

According to Salako, more than 14 million girls have been vaccinated against the Human Papillomavirus, and nearly 30 million children received the new measles–rubella vaccine within the past year.

He noted that sustained financing for primary healthcare and immunisation will allow further expansion of nationwide vaccination programmes in 2026.

The Minister said the renewed emphasis on the Basic Health Care Provision Fund is enabling the government to revitalise primary health centres across the country.

Salako explained, “The commitment in the MTF to sustain funding for the basic health care fund means that more primary health care centres will be revitalised, in line with the agenda of Mr. President to put primary health care at the cornerstone of our health care delivery.

“It means that the more than 4,000 primary health centres that have been revitalised, and an additional 8,000 that are on stream to be revitalised, can be sustained. For example, the introduction of the human papillomavirus to protect our young girls against cervical cancer has seen over 14 million Nigerian children immunised.

“That commitment means that we can also scale that up in the coming year. It also means that the novel introduction of the combined rubella and measles vaccine, which has seen close to 30 million Nigerian children immunised in less than a year, can be scaled up in the coming year.”

Salako added, “So basically, this is to highlight that Mr. President’s commitment to social welfare, which touches the average Nigerian directly, continues to be sustained in this MTF programme”.

With three years of experience, Stephen, The PUNCH correspondent, has been covering Nigeria’s presidency, politics, security, immigration and trafficking in persons

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