Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, has called on the Federal Government to extend telecommunications infrastructure to 16 locations requiring connectivity intervention in Bende Federal Constituency of Abia State to bridge the digital divide and expand access to financial services, education and healthcare.

Kalu made the call on Friday during the commissioning of a telecommunications tower under the National Universal Communications Access Programme (NUCAP), an initiative of the Federal Government aimed at connecting unserved and underserved communities across the country.

The tower, located along the Umuahia–Ohafia Road in Bende, was commissioned by the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, as part of a nationwide programme to deploy 3,700 telecommunications towers and connect about 20 million Nigerians currently without access to telephone and internet services.

The Deputy Speaker said reliable connectivity had become essential to economic participation and social development, particularly in rural communities where poor network coverage often limits access to digital financial services, educational resources and medical assistance.

He noted that while reliable telecommunications services might appear ordinary to people in well-connected areas, the absence of such infrastructure could determine whether rural residents secured economic opportunities or remained excluded from them.

“For those who have always enjoyed reliable network service, connectivity may seem ordinary. For a rural trader whose payment repeatedly fails, a student who cannot join an online lesson, or a family struggling to contact a doctor, it is anything but ordinary. It can determine whether an opportunity is secured or lost,” he said.

Representing Bende Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Kalu said financial inclusion increasingly depended on dependable telecommunications networks, as mobile applications, electronic transfers, agent banking and other digital financial services required reliable connectivity.

He explained that poor network coverage could prevent traders from confirming payments, farmers from receiving proceeds from their produce and households from accessing money sent by relatives.

“Where a person lives should not determine the limits of what that person can become,” he said, adding that reliable connectivity would help bring banking services closer to people in rural communities who had limited access to conventional bank branches.

Kalu, however, stressed that improved network coverage must be complemented by affordable services, financial literacy and consumer protection to enable more rural households to participate confidently in the formal economy.

On education, he said the telecommunications infrastructure would enable students to access online lessons, digital learning materials and tutoring beyond their immediate communities.

He added that teachers could improve their skills through wider access to teaching resources, while young people would have better opportunities to acquire digital skills, apply for scholarships and explore employment opportunities without having to travel in search of network signals.

“Our children should be able to receive online tutoring, access learning materials and participate in lessons beyond their immediate environment. Our teachers should be able to improve their skills and draw on wider teaching resources.

“Our young people should be able to apply for scholarships, acquire digital skills and explore opportunities without travelling elsewhere simply to find a signal. The talent is already here in Bende. We must provide the connections through which that talent can grow,” he said.

The Deputy Speaker also highlighted the potential benefits for healthcare delivery, noting that reliable connectivity would enable health workers in rural facilities to consult specialists, share information securely and coordinate referrals for patients requiring advanced medical attention.

He said the infrastructure could help bridge the geographical gap between rural patients and medical expertise available in larger towns and cities.

Kalu further linked telecommunications access to civic participation, particularly as the country approaches another election cycle, saying citizens needed reliable channels to access accurate information, communicate concerns and engage their elected representatives.

He added that electoral and emergency personnel also required dependable communication networks to carry out their responsibilities effectively.

Describing Bende as strategically positioned for economic and social interaction with neighbouring areas, Kalu said improved telecommunications services would facilitate trade, movement and relationships between communities beyond the constituency.

He disclosed that 16 additional locations in Bende had been identified as requiring connectivity intervention, urging the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and its partners to work with his office and community leaders to verify the locations, assess coverage gaps and establish a clear implementation plan.

He also emphasised the need to sustain the infrastructure through regular maintenance, adequate power supply and prompt repairs whenever faults occurred.

Kalu expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy for the initiative and for selecting Bende as the location for the launch.

He also commended the implementing agencies, network operators, engineers and other partners involved in delivering the project.

The Deputy Speaker acknowledged Abia State Governor Alex Otti for supporting Federal Government initiatives and other development projects in the state, pledging continued cooperation with the state government to accelerate development.

He called on traditional rulers and presidents-general of town unions to protect the telecommunications infrastructure as a critical national asset.

Earlier, Tijani said the NUCAP initiative was designed to extend telecommunications services to about 20 million Nigerians who currently lacked access to telephone and internet connectivity.

He said the Federal Government planned to deploy 3,700 telecommunications towers across the country under the programme, with the Bende installation marking the commissioning of the first site.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given us a clear mandate: work towards bringing every Nigerian online. Through NUCAP, we are delivering 3,700 telecommunications towers across Nigeria. Today, we are commissioning the first of these sites here. More will follow across the country in the coming days, weeks and months,” the minister said.

Tijani said the project was intended to remove geographical barriers that prevent Nigerians from accessing opportunities, particularly farmers seeking buyers, traders conducting transactions and families requiring urgent assistance.

Using the tower as a symbol of long-term development, he compared the infrastructure to a tree whose benefits would extend to future generations.

He said the expected benefits included helping farmers find new buyers, enabling young people to learn new skills, allowing traders to secure orders from other towns and making it easier for families to communicate with loved ones.

The minister added that the Federal Government would continue working with Kalu, network operators and community leaders to extend connectivity to other parts of Bende Local Government Area that remained unserved.

Highlights of the event included a live demonstration of e-learning at Bende Grammar School using the newly deployed telecommunications infrastructure and the distribution of mobile phones to constituents.