Stakeholders in Nigeria’s telecommunications, technology and infrastructure sectors are expected to converge in Lagos for the second edition of the Rural Connectivity Summit to examine why more than 23 million Nigerians remain without access to connectivity and identify practical ways of bridging the gap.
The summit, organised by Business Metrics Limited (BML), is scheduled to hold on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at Providence Hotel, 323 Oba Akinjobi Way, G.R.A., Ikeja, Lagos.
Themed, “Rural Inclusion at Scale: Connecting the Next 25 Million Users for Frontier Market Growth,” the event will bring together government agencies, telecom operators, infrastructure providers, technology companies, investors and development partners to examine the infrastructure and investment challenges limiting connectivity in underserved communities.
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr Aminu Maida, is expected to deliver the keynote address.
Other speakers expected at the summit include Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju of Galaxy Backbone, Dr Abba Aliyu of the Rural Electrification Agency and Engr. Jane Egerton-Idehen of the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited.
According to the organisers, discussions will focus on the business and economic opportunities within Nigeria’s unconnected population, as well as possible models for last-mile connectivity deployment.
The summit will also examine infrastructure sharing, investment partnerships, financing options for rural broadband, the role of Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs), government connectivity programmes and the application of digital inclusion to sectors such as financial services, education and healthcare.
Satellite investment, as well as policy and regulatory issues affecting the expansion of connectivity, will also feature in the discussions.
Omobayo Azeez, Team Lead at BML and Convener of the summit, said the focus should move beyond identifying Nigeria’s connectivity gap to examining how the unconnected population could be integrated into the digital economy.
Azeez said, “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 added that the next 25 million potential users should also be considered in terms of their economic value.
“The next 25 million are not just a connectivity gap. They are a new market and a catalyst for economic development. Connecting them will require investment, infrastructure, power, technology and commercially sustainable models,” he said.
The connectivity gap
The scale of the challenge comes amid continuing efforts by the government and industry players to expand broadband infrastructure across the country.
Industry estimates indicate that more than 23 million Nigerians remain without access to connectivity, while millions of others live in communities where available services are either limited or inadequate.
Data from the NCC also indicate that 2G accounted for 36.54 per cent of mobile-generation market share in July 2026, despite increasing adoption of 4G and 5G services, particularly in urban areas.
The figures highlight the disparity between areas with access to higher-capacity networks and communities where reliable connectivity remains a challenge.
The connectivity gap is being addressed through a number of public initiatives. Under Project BRIDGE, the Federal Government is targeting the deployment of at least 90,000 kilometres of fibre infrastructure across the country.
The Nigeria Universal Communication Access Project (NUCAP) is also designed to deploy 3,700 communications sites to provide broadband and other digital services to underserved and unserved communities.
Project BRIDGE has identified more than 33 million Nigerians as still offline, further highlighting the scale of the infrastructure and access challenge.
The Rural Connectivity Summit 2.0 builds on the inaugural edition held in 2025 and is expected to provide a platform for stakeholders to examine the infrastructure, financing, policy and commercial issues affecting the expansion of connectivity.
The organisers said the summit would also consider how sustainable digital ecosystems could be developed in underserved communities while creating new opportunities for businesses and improving access to digital services.
The 2026 edition is expected to attract senior government officials, regulators, telecom operators, infrastructure providers, technology companies, investors, development partners and other industry stakeholders.
Prospective participants, partners and exhibitors can contact the organisers via ruralconnect@businessmetricsng.com, ruralconnect2032@gmail.com or 09023577723. Further information is available on the RuralConnect Summit website.
