Billions of naira have been invested in fibre infrastructure to achieve the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) promise over the past decade. DPI rails without tracksTHE experiences of Abdullahi, Hauwa, and Amina reflected a shared reality: last-mile digital infrastructure has become a critical constraint on development. 4,834 communities unserved/underservedAN estimated 21 million Nigerians across 4,834 communities, mostly in rural areas, lack access to basic mobile connectivity. For instance, in Zamfara state, Local Government Areas (LGAs) including Shinkafi, Zurmi, Birnin Magaji, and Kaura Namoda are severely underserved. Why last-mile connectivity remains elusiveFINDINGS showed that the last-mile is heavily challenged due to a combination of infrastructure, economic, and regulatory hurdles that operators face despite their investments.

Source: The Guardian December 31, 2025 04:44 UTC