L-R: Engr. Abraham Oshadami, Executive Commissioner Technical Services, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and Engr. Umar Abdullahi Umar, Executive Director Technical Services, Rural Electrification Agency (REA), during the NCC-REA, Stakeholder Forum and MoU Signing Ceremony, held on July 24, 2026, at the NCC Annex Office Mbora, Abuja.
By Peace Udugba
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at accelerating 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 in Mbora, Abuja, on Friday.
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 strategies for 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 quest for inclusive digital connectivity and improved energy access.
According to him, reliable electricity and digital connectivity are complementary pillars of economic growth.
“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.
L-R: Mr. Kashim Ibrahim, Director, Legal Services, Rural Electrification Agency, REA; Engr. Umar Abdullahi Umar, Executive Director Technical Services, REA; Engr. Abraham Oshadami, Executive Commissioner Technical Services Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC; Mr Gwa Tobbie Mohammed, Director, Commission Secretariat, NCC, during the NCC-REA Stakeholders’ Forum and MoU Signing Ceremony, on the 24th of July 2026, at the Commission’s Annex Mbora Abuja.
Oshadami noted that communities without stable electricity struggle to sustain telecommunications infrastructure, while those without digital connectivity cannot fully benefit from electrification initiatives.
He explained that the partnership provides a practical framework for harmonising telecommunications and rural electrification programmes through coordinated planning, shared infrastructure and renewable energy deployment.
Under the agreement, the REA will provide geospatial data on existing and planned electrification projects, while the NCC will share information on current and proposed Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) projects. The shared data will enable both agencies to jointly identify areas lacking electricity and digital connectivity, leading to more effective planning and project implementation.
He added that both organisations 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.
According to Oshadami, the collaboration is expected to reduce infrastructure deployment costs, improve operational efficiency and accelerate broadband expansion in underserved and unserved communities.
Also speaking, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the REA, represented by the Executive Director, Technical Services, Engr. Umar Abdullahi Umar, stressed that Nigeria’s digital economy depends on reliable and sustainable energy infrastructure.
He noted that renewable energy mini-grids offer a cleaner and more sustainable alternative to diesel-powered telecommunications sites, adding that the partnership would create commercially viable opportunities for both 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,” he said.
The workshop featured presentations by the NCC–REA Collaboration Committee on geospatial analysis, pilot project opportunities and implementation strategies. It also included panel discussions focusing on financing models, policy and regulatory frameworks, as well as infrastructure planning.
Oshadami urged stakeholders to move beyond expressions of support by identifying practical financing mechanisms, sustainable commercial models and enabling regulatory measures capable of driving large-scale implementation of the initiative.
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 adoption of renewable energy in telecommunications networks and deliver resilient, scalable and sustainable digital infrastructure that will drive socio-economic development across Nigeria.
