The Secretary of the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), Yomi Arowosafe, has commended the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (UK-FCDO) for their collaboration with the Nigerian government to expand rural connectivity.
He made this remark at an industry-focused stakeholders’ engagement session in Lagos, organized by USPF in partnership with the UK-FCDO and ITU.
The engagement session, attended by key government officials, telecom executives, and industry stakeholders, emphasized the Nigerian government’s commitment to bridging the digital divide. Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, reiterated President Bola Tinubu’s vision to improve connectivity for socio-economic transformation. Similarly, NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman, Dr. Aminu Maida, assured continued regulatory support to accelerate digital infrastructure deployment in line with the government’s strategic priorities.
Arowosafe highlighted the theme of the session, “Fostering Connectivity in Unserved and Underserved Communities: Collaborating for Sustainable Growth,” as a reflection of the government’s dedication to inclusive digital expansion. He stressed that achieving widespread connectivity requires strong partnerships between the government, private sector, NGOs, and development partners to design sustainable solutions for bridging the connectivity gap.
He further revealed that USPF had gathered stakeholder input ahead of the session, shaping discussions on strategies for enhancing connectivity through collaboration, capacity-building, security, and innovative funding mechanisms. The session served as a platform for robust dialogue, reinforcing USPF’s commitment to fostering digital inclusivity and ensuring that no Nigerian community is left behind in the nation’s digital transformation journey.