Nigeria’s telecommunications towers will soon begin running on renewable energy mini-grids instead of relying heavily on diesel generators, following a new partnership between the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) aimed at lowering network operating costs and accelerating broadband expansion into underserved communities, the NCC has said.
The agreement, signed during the NCC–REA Stakeholder Workshop in Abuja, marks a new approach to expanding broadband infrastructure by combining rural electrification projects with telecommunications deployment.
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The partnership comes as mobile network operators continue to struggle with high energy costs, with thousands of telecom towers across the country relying on diesel generators due to unreliable electricity supply. Industry estimates show that energy accounts for one of the largest operating costs for telecom operators, making network expansion into rural communities expensive and commercially difficult.
Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the REA and NCC will coordinate their infrastructure plans, allowing telecom operators to tap into renewable energy projects, particularly mini-grids, to power base stations, fibre repeater sites and other communications facilities.
The agencies will also share geospatial data on existing and planned projects to identify communities that lack both electricity and digital connectivity, enabling them to jointly plan future investments.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Aminu Maida, the executive vice chairman of the NCC, represented by Abraham Oshadami, the executive commissioner, technical services, said reliable electricity and digital connectivity should no longer be treated as separate development goals.
Maida said communities without stable electricity struggle to sustain telecommunications infrastructure, while communities without connectivity cannot fully benefit from electrification.
According to Oshadami, the collaboration creates a practical framework for coordinated planning, shared infrastructure and renewable energy deployment that will lower infrastructure costs and accelerate broadband expansion in underserved areas.
He explained that the REA will provide information on its ongoing and planned electrification projects, while the NCC will contribute data from projects under the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF). This will enable both agencies to identify investment gaps and avoid duplicating infrastructure.
The partnership will also explore the co-location of telecommunications equipment on REA-developed energy assets wherever technically possible, reducing construction costs and speeding up deployment.
The managing director of the REA, represented by the executive director of technical services, Umar Abdullahi Umar, said renewable energy mini-grids offer a cleaner and more sustainable alternative to diesel-powered telecom sites.
He noted that reliable electricity and universal connectivity are closely linked and that delivering both together would reduce costs while extending services to more communities.
Beyond the immediate collaboration, industry experts believe the agreement reflects a broader shift in how Nigeria plans critical infrastructure.
Rather than building electricity and telecommunications projects independently, both sectors will increasingly be developed together. This integrated approach is expected to reduce capital expenditure, improve returns on investment and make rural broadband projects more commercially viable.
The strategy could also help Nigeria achieve its digital economy ambitions, especially as demand for internet services continues to grow because of cloud computing, artificial intelligence, digital financial services and online education.
For telecom operators, the agreement offers an opportunity to reduce one of their biggest operating expenses. Running base stations on renewable energy could lower fuel consumption, reduce maintenance costs and improve network availability in remote communities where diesel supply is often unreliable.
For renewable energy developers, the initiative opens a new commercial market by creating long-term demand for mini-grid projects that serve both households and telecommunications infrastructure.
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The workshop also examined financing models, policy reforms and implementation strategies needed to scale the initiative nationwide, with stakeholders urging stronger collaboration between government agencies, telecom operators, infrastructure companies and private investors.
If successfully implemented, the NCC-REA partnership could become one of Nigeria’s most significant infrastructure reforms, demonstrating that expanding broadband access depends not only on laying fibre cables and building telecom towers, but also on providing the reliable electricity needed to keep digital networks running.
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