The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to accelerate the deployment of sustainable digital infrastructure across Nigeria by integrating renewable energy solutions with telecommunications infrastructure.
The agreement was formalised during the NCC–REA Stakeholder Workshop held at the NCC Annex Office Auditorium, Mbora, Abuja, on July 24, 2026. The workshop, themed “Unlocking the Energy–Telecoms Nexus for Scalable Digital Infrastructure in Nigeria,” brought together government officials, telecom operators, tower companies, renewable energy developers, financiers, development partners and other industry stakeholders to chart practical pathways for expanding digital connectivity through sustainable energy.
Representing the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, the Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, Engr. Abraham Oshadami, described the partnership as a major milestone in advancing Nigeria’s digital economy and expanding access to reliable electricity.
He emphasised that electricity and digital connectivity are complementary pillars of national development, noting that communities without stable power struggle to sustain telecommunications infrastructure, while those lacking connectivity cannot fully benefit from electrification initiatives.
According to Oshadami, the partnership provides a framework for aligning telecommunications and rural electrification programmes through coordinated planning, shared infrastructure and renewable energy deployment.
He disclosed that the REA will provide geospatial data on existing and planned electrification projects, while the NCC will share information on Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) deployments. This, he said, will enable both agencies to jointly identify connectivity and energy gaps for more effective infrastructure planning.
He further explained that the collaboration would explore powering telecom infrastructure, including base stations and fibre repeater sites, through REA’s off-grid renewable energy projects, while also promoting the co-location of telecom facilities on REA energy assets where technically feasible.
According to him, the initiative will lower infrastructure deployment costs, improve operational efficiency and accelerate broadband access in underserved and unserved communities across the country.
Speaking on behalf of the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the REA, the Executive Director, Technical Services, Engr. Umar Abdullahi Umar, said Nigeria’s digital economy cannot thrive without dependable energy infrastructure.
He noted that renewable energy mini-grids provide a cleaner, more sustainable and cost-effective alternative to diesel-powered telecommunications facilities, adding that the collaboration would create new commercial opportunities for telecom operators and renewable energy developers.
“Reliable power and universal connectivity are not competing priorities. They are the same priority, approached from two directions. Where we deliver them together, the cost of each falls and the reach of both extends,” Umar stated.
The workshop also featured presentations by the NCC–REA Collaboration Committee on geospatial analysis, pilot projects and implementation strategies, alongside panel discussions on financing models, policy frameworks, regulatory issues and infrastructure planning.
Oshadami urged stakeholders to move beyond expressions of support by identifying practical financing mechanisms, viable commercial models and enabling regulatory frameworks that will translate the initiative into sustainable, large-scale infrastructure projects.
The NCC said the partnership represented a significant step towards achieving the Federal Government’s digital economy and rural development objectives by improving infrastructure planning, expanding broadband connectivity, promoting renewable energy adoption in telecommunications and delivering resilient, scalable and sustainable digital infrastructure capable of driving socio-economic development nationwide.
