The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to accelerate the expansion of sustainable digital infrastructure across Nigeria by integrating renewable energy with telecommunications infrastructure.
The agreement was formalised during the NCC–REA Stakeholder Workshop held at the NCC Annex Office Auditorium, Mbora, Abuja, on Friday, July 24, 2026.
The workshop, themed “Unlocking the Energy–Telecoms Nexus for Scalable Digital Infrastructure in Nigeria,” brought together senior government officials, telecommunications operators, tower companies, renewable energy developers, financiers, development partners and other industry stakeholders to explore practical ways of expanding digital connectivity through sustainable energy solutions.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, represented by the Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, Engr. Abraham Oshadami, described the partnership as a major milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to achieve inclusive digital connectivity and improved energy access.
He said reliable electricity and digital connectivity are closely linked and remain critical to building an inclusive and productive economy.
“Reliable electricity and digital connectivity are not two separate development goals. They are mutually reinforcing foundations of the same objective that produces an inclusive and productive economy,” he said.
Oshadami explained that communities without reliable electricity struggle to sustain telecommunications infrastructure, while communities without digital connectivity cannot fully benefit from electrification initiatives.
He said the partnership establishes a framework for aligning telecommunications and rural electrification programmes through coordinated planning, shared infrastructure and renewable energy solutions.
Under the agreement, the REA will provide geospatial data on existing and planned electrification projects, while the NCC will share information on existing and planned Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) projects. The shared data will enable both agencies to identify connectivity and energy gaps and improve infrastructure planning across the country.
He added that the collaboration would also explore opportunities to power telecommunications infrastructure, including base stations and fibre repeater sites, through REA’s off-grid renewable energy projects. The initiative will also encourage the co-location of telecom infrastructure on REA-developed energy assets where technically feasible, helping to reduce deployment costs, improve operational efficiency and accelerate connectivity in underserved communities.
In his remarks, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the REA, represented by the Executive Director, Technical Services, Engr. Umar Abdullahi Umar, said Nigeria’s digital economy depends on reliable energy infrastructure.
He noted that renewable energy mini-grids provide a cleaner and more sustainable alternative to diesel-powered telecom sites and that the partnership would create commercially viable opportunities for telecommunications 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,” he said.
The workshop also featured presentations by the NCC–REA Collaboration Committee on geospatial analysis, pilot project opportunities and implementation strategies, alongside panel discussions on financing models, policy and regulatory issues, and infrastructure planning.
Oshadami urged stakeholders to move beyond expressions of support by developing practical financing mechanisms, commercial models and regulatory measures capable of delivering sustainable, large-scale projects.
The MoU marks a significant step in strengthening collaboration between the NCC and the REA in support of the Federal Government’s digital economy and rural development agenda.
Through the partnership, both agencies aim to improve infrastructure planning, expand broadband connectivity, promote the use of renewable energy in telecommunications networks and deliver resilient, scalable and sustainable digital infrastructure that will drive socio-economic development across.
