October 23, (THEWILL) — The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has revealed that only 23 percent of rural communities in Nigeria currently have access to the internet, compared to 57 percent in urban areas — a gap the Commission says continues to deepen the country’s digital divide.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, disclosed this on Wednesday, October 22, in Lagos during the Rural Connectivity Summit organised by the Rural Connectivity Initiative.
Maida described the disparity as one of the biggest barriers to inclusive national development, warning that without deliberate intervention, millions of Nigerians risk being left behind in education, healthcare, and economic opportunities dependent on digital access.
Delivering his keynote address titled “Leaving Nobody Behind: Leveraging Regulatory Advantages to Bridge Nigeria’s Digital Divide,” Maida said the absence of connectivity in rural areas poses not only a development challenge but also a national security concern.
He said,”community without digital connectivity is functionally invisible — cut off from modern education, healthcare, markets, and opportunities. This ‘digital invisibility’ is an unacceptable situation we must act decisively to end.”
According to him, Nigeria’s broadband penetration stands at 48.81 percent, and research shows that a 10 percent increase in broadband access can raise a nation’s GDP by up to 1.38 percent.
“Connectivity is not just about speed; it’s about economic growth and national development,” he added.
Maida noted that the Commission, through the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), is implementing targeted initiatives to expand digital access in underserved and unserved areas.
“Through programmes such as the Rural Broadband Initiative (RUBI) and the Accelerated Mobile Phone Expansion (AMPE), we are supporting infrastructure rollout in commercially non-viable areas. The USPF has also executed more than 2,500 education projects and delivered over 100,000 computers to schools nationwide,” he stated.
He added that the Commission’s e-health and accessibility projects are linking remote health centres to larger hospitals for telemedicine while also providing assistive technologies for persons with disabilities.
Maida commended state governments that have reduced or eliminated Right-of-Way (RoW) charges to encourage infrastructure expansion.
“We appreciate the 11 states that adopted zero RoW charges and the 17 others that implemented the N145 per linear metre benchmark. We urge the remaining states to align with this policy to lower costs and accelerate broadband rollout,” he said.
However, he expressed concern over rising cases of vandalism and theft of telecom infrastructure.
“Between January and August 2025 alone, operators recorded over 19,000 fibre cuts and more than 3,000 cases of equipment theft. These acts not only delay service delivery but also erode investments and degrade the quality of experience for millions of Nigerians,” Maida lamented.
He reaffirmed the NCC’s commitment to achieving universal and meaningful connectivity for all Nigerians, calling for stronger collaboration among government, telecom operators, and local communities to protect infrastructure, expand broadband access, and unlock the economic potential of rural Nigeria.
Sam Diala is a Bloomberg Certified Financial Journalist with over a decade of experience in reporting Business and Economy. He is Business Editor at THEWILL Newspaper, and believes that work, not wishes, creates wealth.
