The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has partnered with the Association for Progressive Communications and other stakeholders to address the challenges of rural network connectivity in Nigeria.
A two-day workshop was held in Abuja from June 3-4, 2025, to explore policy frameworks for enabling community networks and bridging the digital divide in underserved and unserved communities.
The workshop brought together regulators, community leaders, technical experts, and potential foreign investors to examine policy and regulatory barriers, explore innovative funding mechanisms, ensure sustainable renewable solutions and strengthen collaboration with stakeholders.
The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, emphasized the importance of the workshop in bridging the digital divide and fostering inclusive socio-economic development.
He stated that the Commission is committed to advancing digital inclusion, particularly in underserved and unserved areas.
Maida noted that community networks have the potential to achieve this goal and that the workshop will shape the future of digital connectivity in Nigeria.
The Co-manager of the Association for Progressive Communications’ Local Network (LocNet) initiative, Kathleen Diga, highlighted the need for a bottom-up approach to address digital exclusion.
She emphasized the importance of recognizing community network connectivity and its potential to fill digital gaps.
The workshop featured presentations from the NCC, the Association for Progressive Communications, and other institutional stakeholders, including the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The discussions focused on exploring a joint policy framework to address the rural digital divide.
The Association for Progressive Communications is a 35-year-old international network member-based organization that encourages digital inclusion in unserved communities, particularly in the global south.
The workshop, through its LocNet initiative, aimed to craft an enabling inclusive regulatory framework for community networks in Nigeria.
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