Hotspot Network Limited plans to deploy telecommunications and broadband infrastructure across 500 unserved and underserved communities in Nigeria under the World Bank-backed Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-Up project.

The results-based investment facility will support the rollout of mobile voice and data services, including 2G and 4G, broadband internet, community Wi-Fi and renewable energy-powered digital infrastructure.

According to The PUNCH report, the project is expected to target communities where inadequate network coverage, limited broadband access and unreliable electricity have constrained participation in the digital economy, with the infrastructure serving households, businesses, schools, healthcare facilities and other public institutions.

About 130 million Nigerians, representing 54.5 per cent of the country’s population, were not using the internet at the end of 2025, according to DataReportal, highlighting the scale of the country’s digital access gap.

The deployment will be carried out under DARES, a $750m Federal Government and World Bank-backed programme implemented in partnership with the Rural Electrification Agency to expand electricity access through renewable energy solutions in unserved and underserved communities.

Chief Executive Officer of Hotspot Network Limited, Engineer Morenikeji Aniye, FNSE, leads the company, which has worked on rural telecommunications and renewable energy-powered network infrastructure in Nigeria.

He said the project also aligns with the Federal Government’s broader efforts to expand digital infrastructure and improve economic participation in rural areas as financial services, education, commerce and public services increasingly move online.

The telecommunications rollout will combine network infrastructure with renewable energy systems, an approach intended to address the challenge of unreliable electricity that can increase the cost of powering and maintaining rural telecom sites.

Chairman of the Board of Hotspot Network Limited, Okezie Ofoegbu, said the planned deployment would support the company’s efforts to expand digital access in underserved communities.

“This milestone reinforces our commitment to expanding affordable connectivity and digital access across underserved communities in Nigeria,” Ofoegbu said.

“By combining resilient telecommunications infrastructure with renewable energy solutions, we are creating new opportunities for education, healthcare delivery, financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, and sustainable economic growth in rural areas.”

The project is expected to improve access to digital financial services, education, healthcare information and online commerce for households in the targeted communities.

Businesses could also gain improved access to customers, suppliers and digital markets, while schools and healthcare facilities could make greater use of online resources and services.

DARES is expected to support the deployment of about 1,350 mini-grids and provide new or improved electricity access to an estimated 17.5 million Nigerians, while reducing reliance on petrol and diesel generators.

The link between electricity and telecommunications is particularly important in rural communities, where limited access to dependable power can make network deployment more expensive and constrain the use of digital services.

Hotspot Network Limited operates as a Rural Network-as-a-Service provider, with a focus on rural telephony, broadband connectivity, community Wi-Fi, digital infrastructure and renewable-energy-enabled telecommunications solutions.

The company has previously pursued rural connectivity projects involving solar-powered mobile network infrastructure and partnerships aimed at extending telecommunications services to areas that have traditionally been difficult to serve commercially.

The planned rollout comes as Nigeria seeks to expand broadband access and narrow the gap between urban and rural connectivity, with the cost of infrastructure, electricity, devices and data continuing to influence internet adoption.

The World Bank has also backed a separate $500m digital infrastructure project aimed at expanding affordable high-speed broadband in Nigeria, reflecting the growing role of development finance in extending digital infrastructure to areas that may struggle to attract sufficient private investment.