NCC partners with Plateau State to expand broadband access and drive digital economy

KEY POINTS

• The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has reaffirmed its commitment to bridging the digital divide by expanding broadband access to underserved communities in Plateau State.
• NCC Executive Commissioner, Ms. Rimini Makama, identified Plateau as a “strategic and indispensable partner” due to its strong educational base and youthful innovation ecosystem.
• Governor Caleb Mutfwang announced a new Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) initiative aimed at creating remote jobs for at least 500 young people in Jos.
• The partnership focuses on operationalizing Right of Way (RoW) policies and utilizing the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) to reach rural Local Government Areas (LGAs).

MAIN STORY

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is pivoting toward Plateau State as a primary hub for its national broadband agenda. During a high-level strategic visit to Government House, Jos, Executive Commissioner Rimini Makama emphasized that the state’s “TechFest” declarations and pro-innovation policies have signaled the political will necessary for massive digital infrastructure investment.

The NCC aims to align its regulatory instruments with the state’s development agenda to ensure that connectivity moves beyond urban centers into the most remote rural areas.

Governor Caleb Mutfwang welcomed the collaboration, noting that Plateau is ready to move from policy discussion to high-impact implementation. The state is currently working with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to establish an innovation hub at Plateau State Polytechnic.

 By focusing on emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and remote work through BPO initiatives, the administration intends to position Jos as a leading destination for digital services and e-commerce in Northern Nigeria.

THE ISSUE

The primary challenge addressed by this visit is the “Rural Digital Exclusion.” Despite Plateau’s growing reputation as a tech-friendly state, many of its 17 LGAs remain cut off from the digital economy, limiting access to modern education and healthcare.

 This “Connectivity Gap” is often exacerbated by high Right of Way (RoW) fees that deter internet service providers. The NCC’s intervention seeks to resolve this by providing the technical support and funding—via the Universal Service Provision Fund—needed to make broadband deployment commercially viable in historically underserved mountainous and rural terrains.

WHAT’S BEING SAID

• “Plateau is a strategic and indispensable partner… you have the educational institutions and the growing innovation ecosystem,” stated Ms. Rimini Makama, NCC Executive Commissioner.
• “Many rural LGAs remain underserved, cut off from the digital economy that could transform their livelihoods,” Makama added on the urgency of the mission.
• “There is a need to move from policy discussions to practical, high-impact implementation, particularly in areas like AI,” noted Governor Caleb Mutfwang.
• “Digital infrastructure demands political will… we have taken notice of the Governor’s commitments,” remarked Nnenna Ukoha, Head of Public Affairs, NCC.

WHAT’S NEXT

• The NCC will begin assessments to determine which rural LGAs in Plateau will receive immediate infrastructure subsidies from the Universal Service Provision Fund.
• The state government will finalize its Business Process Outsourcing framework to onboard the first 500 young remote workers in Jos.
• Collaboration with the UNDP will accelerate the setup of the tech hub at Plateau State Polytechnic to serve as a training ground for AI and software development.
• Tech teams from the NCC and the Plateau State Ministry of Science and Technology will meet to streamline Right of Way processes to attract private fiber-optic investors.

BOTTOM LINE

The Bottom Line is that Plateau State is being groomed as the “Silicon Plateau” of the North. By combining the NCC’s regulatory muscle and the USPF’s funding with Governor Mutfwang’s political will, the state is erasing the barriers to digital entry. For the youth of Plateau, this partnership means that the distance between a rural village and the global digital economy is finally shrinking.

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