The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to use renewable energy solutions to expand telecommunications services in rural and underserved communities across Nigeria.

The partnership, formalised at the NCC-REA Stakeholder Forum and MoU Signing Ceremony in Abuja on Friday, is expected to reduce the telecom sector’s dependence on diesel-powered base stations while improving network availability through the deployment of mini-grids.

The event, themed “Unlocking the Energy–Telecoms Nexus for Scalable Digital Infrastructure in Nigeria,” brought together government officials, telecommunications operators, tower companies, renewable energy developers, financiers, development partners and investors to explore practical strategies for integrating energy and telecommunications infrastructure.

Speaking after the signing ceremony, the Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, NCC, Engr. Abraham Oshadami, said the partnership reflects the close relationship between electricity and telecommunications, noting that neither sector can function effectively without the other.

He explained that while mobile base stations require electricity to remain operational, consumers equally rely on telecommunications services to access electricity-related services such as smart metering and digital payments.

According to him, the collaboration is designed to ensure Nigerians enjoy improved access to both electricity and telecommunications services, especially in remote communities where power supply has remained a major challenge.

Oshadami said the agreement would enable both agencies to maximise existing infrastructure by linking telecom base stations located close to existing and planned mini-grids.

“Where you have mini-grids, we’re able to identify base stations that are close to them so that we’ll be able to take electricity supply from those closest mini-grids,” he said.

He noted that the arrangement would keep telecommunications infrastructure running even in locations without access to the national electricity grid.

According to him, powering telecom sites through renewable energy would improve service reliability and enable rural communities to participate more actively in the country’s digital economy.

“The whole globe is now more or less a village. It is only possible because of connectivity,” Oshadami said, adding that extending reliable communications services to underserved communities would support economic growth and social inclusion.

He disclosed that implementation of the agreement would begin immediately, as both organisations had already identified existing mini-grids located within one to two kilometres of telecom base stations.

“The MoU has made provision for everybody who knows their responsibility. It’s all spelt out in that MoU. So it’s immediate effect,” he said.

The NCC executive added that future mini-grid projects would also be planned with telecommunications infrastructure in mind, ensuring electricity investments simultaneously improve digital connectivity.

Also speaking, the Executive Director, Technical Services, Rural Electrification Agency, Engr. Umar Abdullahi, described the agreement as a turning point in the relationship between the two agencies.

He said although both organisations had independently recorded significant achievements in their respective sectors, they had previously pursued separate implementation strategies.

“Prior to today, both agencies, NCC and REA, have been working in silos. They’ve achieved a lot in the telecom sector and REA has achieved a lot in the power sector. By signing this MoU, we came together to have one agenda so that all our efforts are complementing each other,” he said.

Abdullahi explained that the partnership would be driven by detailed mapping and analysis of telecommunications and electricity infrastructure to identify locations where coordinated investments would produce the greatest impact.

He said an NCC-REA Collaboration Committee had already been established to coordinate implementation, develop pilot projects and provide practical recommendations for scaling the initiative nationwide.

According to him, implementation timelines would be developed by the committee as work progresses.

He disclosed that one of the first projects under the partnership would focus on migrating telecommunications towers currently powered by diesel generators to renewable energy supplied through mini-grids.

“We are trying to move them to be powered by mini-grids. That way we are having cheaper and cleaner energy and this will bring down the cost of operation of these towers and also be able to expand coverage to Nigerians that are served and underserved,” Abdullahi said.

The MoU builds on the work of the NCC-REA Collaboration Committee, which has been examining opportunities to align renewable energy assets with telecommunications infrastructure through coordinated planning, infrastructure sharing and innovative deployment models.

According to the agencies, the collaboration is expected to improve operational sustainability for telecom operators while extending communications services to underserved and unserved communities.

The initiative also represents a whole-of-government approach to infrastructure development by combining renewable energy and telecommunications investments to deliver more reliable connectivity and support the country’s growing digital economy.