In a significant move to bridge Nigeria’s persistent digital divide, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has partnered with the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) and other key organizations. Their collaborative efforts culminated in a two-day workshop held in Abuja from June 3-4, 2025, focused on developing policy frameworks to enable community networks and accelerate socio-economic development in the nation’s underserved and unserved rural areas.
The forum brought together a diverse group of participants, including regulators, community leaders, technical experts, and potential foreign investors. Their shared goal was to identify and address critical challenges such as policy and regulatory barriers, funding mechanisms, sustainable renewable energy solutions, and the need for strengthened stakeholder collaboration.
Dr. Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, emphasized the workshop’s crucial role in fostering inclusive socio-economic development. “This workshop is an opportunity for all of us to harness the expertise, insights, and experiences of diverse stakeholders present here… to address critical challenges such as affordable devices, access, licensing, spectrum allocation, infrastructure development, sustainability, and institutional monitoring,” stated Dr. Maida, whose remarks were delivered by Abraham Oshadami, Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, NCC.
Dr. Maida underscored the NCC’s unwavering commitment to advancing digital inclusion, particularly in remote regions. He highlighted the transformative potential of community networks in achieving this vital objective, viewing the workshop as a “catalyst for meaningful change” that will shape a future where every Nigerian has meaningful access to digital connectivity, regardless of their status.
Kathleen Diga, Co-manager of APC’s Local Network (LocNet) initiative, stressed the importance of the collaboration in tackling identified hindrances to digital inclusion. She advocated for an open exchange of ideas and the exploration of “bottom-up” approaches, recognizing the ability of local communities, small social enterprises, and cooperatives to fill existing digital gaps. Diga also emphasized that community-centered connectivity is a growing and strategic response to digital exclusion in the Global South.
The workshop featured insightful presentations from the NCC, the APC, and other institutional stakeholders like the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). These presentations collectively aimed at exploring a joint policy framework to effectively address the rural digital divide.
The APC, a 35-year-old international network organization, champions digital inclusion in unserved communities, particularly across the Global South. Its LocNet initiative, a driving force behind this workshop, is dedicated to crafting an inclusive regulatory framework that will enable and empower community networks throughout Nigeria.