The expansion of Nigeria’s digital economy is increasingly moving beyond the question of who has network access to how businesses can profitably extend digital services to underserved populations.
This challenge will form the centre of discussions at the Rural Connectivity Summit 2.0 in Lagos, as telecom operators, technology companies, infrastructure providers, investors and government agencies explore pathways to connect the next 25 million users.
The second edition of the Rural Connectivity Summit, organised by Business Metrics Limited (BML), will focus on the commercial and infrastructure opportunities around connecting the next 25 million Nigerians, under the theme, “Rural Inclusion at Scale: Connecting the Next 25 Million Users for Frontier Market Growth.”
The summit is scheduled for October 13, 2026, at Providence Hotel, G.R.A. Ikeja, Lagos, bringing together government agencies, telecom operators, infrastructure providers, technology companies, investors, development partners and regulators.
The scale of the opportunity is reflected in industry estimates showing more than 23 million Nigerians without access to meaningful connectivity, while millions more live in areas where available services remain limited or inadequate.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) industry statistics also point to a technology divide. In July 2026, 2G accounted for 36.54 percent of mobile-generation market share, even as 4G and 5G adoption continues to advance, particularly in urban centres.
Omobayo Azeez, Team Lead at BML and Convener of the Summit, said the event would examine the business value of Nigeria’s unconnected population alongside practical models for last-mile deployment.
“The next 25 million are not just a connectivity gap. They are a new market and a catalyst for economic development,” Azeez said.
He said connecting the population would require a combination of investment, infrastructure, reliable power, technology and commercially sustainable models.
The push to close Nigeria’s connectivity gap is taking place against the backdrop of major government-led infrastructure programmes.
Through Project BRIDGE, the Federal Government is targeting at least 90,000 kilometres of fibre infrastructure across the country, while the Nigeria Universal Communication Access Project (NUCAP) is designed to deploy 3,700 communications sites to provide broadband and other digital services in underserved and unserved communities.
Project BRIDGE has identified more than 33 million Nigerians as still offline, highlighting the scale of infrastructure and investment required to achieve wider digital inclusion.
The divergence between the more than 23 million figure cited by industry estimates and the 33 million identified under Project BRIDGE also underscores the difficulty of measuring Nigeria’s connectivity gap, particularly when distinguishing between basic network access and meaningful, reliable broadband connectivity.
Against this backdrop, stakeholders are expected to examine how public investment can be complemented by private capital and commercially viable deployment models.
The summit’s discussions will centre on infrastructure sharing, investment partnerships and financing options for rural broadband, alongside the role of mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), satellite technology and government connectivity programmes.
The conversations will also examine digital inclusion across sectors including financial services, education and healthcare, where expanded connectivity can create additional demand for digital platforms and services.
According to BML, the focus is not only on deploying infrastructure but on building sustainable digital ecosystems capable of supporting continued investment and economic activity in underserved communities.
Aminu Maida, the executive vice chairman and CEO of the NCC, is expected to deliver the keynote address at the summit.
Other high-level participants will include Ibrahim Adeyanju of Galaxy Backbone, Abba Aliyu of the Rural Electrification Agency and Jane Egerton-Idehen of Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited.
Their participation reflects the intersection between broadband deployment and other infrastructure requirements, particularly fibre networks, electricity and satellite connectivity.
The summit will seek to connect these policy and infrastructure priorities with the commercial interests of telecom operators, technology companies and investors.
Azeez said Nigeria’s next phase of digital development would need to extend beyond communities that are already well served.
“Nigeria has shown that connectivity drives usage and economic activity. The next task is to take that opportunity to the millions still outside the connected economy,” he said.
The Rural Connectivity Summit 2.0 builds on the inaugural edition held in 2025 and is expected to provide a platform for government and private-sector stakeholders to address the investment, infrastructure, regulatory and commercial barriers standing between Nigeria and its next wave of connected consumers.
