REA, NCC to expand rural connectivity, cut telecom costs

The Rural Electrification Agency and the Nigerian Communications Commission are planning joint pilot projects to integrate rural electricity infrastructure with telecommunications networks.

The initiative aims to improve power supply to rural telecom base stations, reduce diesel consumption and extend digital services to underserved communities.

REA managing director Abba Aliyu disclosed this at the Rural Connect 2.0 Summit in Lagos on Tuesday.

Mr Aliyu said the agencies had established a joint committee to identify locations where rural mini-grids could supply electricity to mobile network operators’ base stations. He said the REA and NCC signed a Memorandum of Understanding in July 2026 to strengthen collaboration on rural electricity and telecommunications infrastructure.

According to him, three subcommittees have assessed business models, funding options, technical standards and capacity-building requirements for the initiative.

“The next phase would involve joint physical audits of shortlisted sites, engagement with telecom operators and mini-grid developers, and validation of the proposed business models using operational data,” he said.

Mr Aliyu said Nigeria’s household electrification rate stood at about 60 per cent, while more than 11,000 rural base stations relied on power sources that contributed to significant diesel consumption.

“The telecom sector was estimated to consume more than 40 million litres of diesel annually to power many rural base stations,” he said.

He said integrating telecommunications infrastructure with renewable energy systems could reduce operating costs while improving electricity reliability and digital access in rural communities. The REA representative said the agency was implementing programmes to expand electricity access through mini-grids and solar home systems.

He said the Nigeria Electrification Project had supported 380 grant agreements with developers, resulting in more than 150 commissioned hybrid solar mini-grids and approximately 1.45 million deployed solar home systems.

Mr Aliyu also highlighted the agency’s $750 million Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up programme, which targets 1,350 mini-grids, including 250 interconnected systems. According to him, the programme is expected to provide new electricity access to approximately 17.5 million Nigerians.

He said the National Electricity Strategy and Implementation Plan targeted universal electricity access by 2030, requiring an estimated $23 billion investment to connect 22 million households.

Tony Emoekpere, president of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, urged stakeholders to measure rural connectivity by actual usage and community benefits, not network coverage alone. He said connecting schools, primary healthcare centres, local governments and agricultural cooperatives to shared networks could create a more sustainable revenue base for rural telecommunications infrastructure.

Mr Emoekpere urged stakeholders to incorporate connectivity planning into mini-grid projects from inception, arguing that shared infrastructure could reduce costs and expand access to electricity and digital services. He also called for greater support for local internet service providers and community-based operators, saying they were better positioned to understand and address underserved populations’ needs.

Mr Emoekpere said government and development partners must support rural connectivity because private investment alone might not adequately serve communities offering limited commercial returns.