The initiative was the centrepiece of a two-day stakeholder workshop held in Abuja, organised in collaboration with the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) and other partners, aimed at removing regulatory obstacles and promoting digital inclusion in disadvantaged communities.
Collaborative Workshop Tackles Connectivity Challenges
The forum gathered regulators, community leaders, technical experts, and prospective foreign investors to discuss challenges in policy and licensing, explore innovative funding models, promote sustainable energy solutions for connectivity infrastructure, and strengthen collaboration to deliver inclusive connectivity.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida (represented by the Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, Abraham Oshadami) underscored the commission’s determination to close the digital divide.
“The workshop is an opportunity for all of us to harness the expertise, insights, and experiences of diverse stakeholders... to address critical challenges such as affordable devices, access, licensing, spectrum allocation, infrastructure development, sustainability and institutional monitoring,” Maida said.
NCC’s Commitment to Inclusive Digital Development
The NCC leadership described the policy initiative as part of its commitment to advancing digital inclusion and enabling community-driven infrastructure solutions in unserved and underserved regions.
“At NCC, we recognise the transformative potential of community centre networks in achieving this important goal,” Oshadami said on behalf of Maida.
The commission described the workshop as a turning point in its effort to deliver meaningful change, stressing that the perspectives and commitments gathered would help shape a future where all Nigerians have equitable access to digital opportunities.
Supporting a Bottom-Up Approach to Connectivity
In her remarks, Kathleen Diga, Co-manager of APC’s Local Network (LocNet) initiative, emphasised the importance of addressing persistent barriers to digital inclusion through collaboration.
“This is a space where we can be open and exchange ideas of possibilities, opportunities that will remain in realising values of a diversified ecosystem,” she said.
She highlighted the growing role of community networks across the global south as a strategic, bottom-up solution to closing connectivity gaps.
“I believe this workshop presents a moment in time that we can explore the bottom-up approach in local communities, small social enterprises, cooperatives among others, which have the ability to fill some of the digital gaps that remain unfilled,” Diga added.
A Path Toward Broader Digital Inclusion
Participants at the Abuja workshop agreed that enabling community networks through clear policy and licensing frameworks represents a practical, sustainable way to extend affordable, reliable connectivity to Nigeria’s most disadvantaged communities.
By fostering collaboration among government agencies, local communities, investors, and technical experts, the NCC aims to deliver on its goal of ensuring inclusive, meaningful digital access for all Nigerians, regardless of their location or socio-economic status.