Nigerian regulator the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Nigerian Rural Electrification Agency (REA) have launched a joint initiative to reduce the estimated US$350 million that telecom operators in Nigeria spend annually on diesel.
Driving this initiative has been the formation of the NCC–REA Collaboration Committee, which will focus on deploying renewable energy solutions to power telecom infrastructure nationwide. The inauguration ceremony was held at the end of June at the NCC Headquarters in Abuja.
According to the State of Africa’s Infrastructure Report 2025 by the Africa Finance Corporation, telecom operators in Nigeria consume over 40 million litres of diesel each month, resulting in annual costs exceeding US$350 million, a figure the new initiative has clearly targeted for reduction.
The new initiative will prioritise telecom infrastructure in rural areas, although the NCC has apparently not yet offered details on how the committee will engage with telecom operators.
The NCC–REA Collaboration Committee will focus on four key objectives: deploying renewable energy to power telecom sites; sharing geospatial data to enhance infrastructure planning; aligning funding frameworks to support joint projects; and tracking socio-economic impact using clear performance metrics.
Local press reports say that the committee aims to serve as a model for inter-agency collaboration and contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s National Broadband Plan and broader sustainable development goals.
