The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) is set to host Nigeria’s first Community-Centred Connectivity (CCC) capacity-building bootcamp from September 28 to October 2 in Abuja.
The five-day programme will bring together 20 representatives of existing and emerging community-centred connectivity initiatives from across the country to strengthen locally driven efforts to expand digital inclusion.
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According to a statement signed by CITAD’s Haruna Adamu Hadejia, the bootcamp will bring together community network practitioners, technical experts, community organisations, civil society actors and researchers working to improve digital access and promote locally led connectivity solutions.
The initiative comes amid persistent digital inequality in Nigeria, particularly in rural communities. The statement noted that only 19 per cent of Nigerians living in rural areas have access to the internet, leaving at least 82 million people offline.
“The bootcamp supports these ongoing efforts by bringing together local, regional and global actors to build practical skills for the deployment, operation and sustainability of CCCIs,” the statement said.
The programme is designed to support the implementation of Nigeria’s National Strategy for Community-Centred Connectivity Initiatives (2025–2027).
Participants will receive practical training in deploying, operating and sustaining community-centred connectivity initiatives, while also strengthening the country’s community connectivity ecosystem.
The organisers identified several barriers to digital inclusion, including high costs of internet access and digital devices, limited digital literacy, inadequate telecommunications infrastructure and insufficient policy support.
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Gender disparities were also highlighted as a significant factor limiting equitable access to and meaningful use of the internet.
The statement acknowledged the contributions of grassroots and institutional organisations, including Fantsuam Foundation, Internet Society Nigeria, CITAD, Media Awareness and Justice Initiative (MAJI) and Hello World, to the development of community-centred connectivity in Nigeria.
It also highlighted the contributions of the Nigerian School of Community Networks (NSCN), which CITAD operated between 2021 and 2025. The initiative equipped rural communities and local organisations with the skills needed to establish, manage and own community networks.
The bootcamp will hold at Bon Hotel Elvis in Abuja, with sessions covering Nigeria’s connectivity ecosystem and regulatory framework, technical resources, financial sustainability, community ownership, gender equality and inclusion.
Participants will also visit the Dakwa Community Network to gain practical experience and learn from an operational community connectivity initiative.
Ahead of the bootcamp, participants attended a preparatory session on September 9 with Steve Song, an expert in community-led connectivity. The session examined different connectivity options and internet infrastructure, including national and regional backhaul, first-mile, middle-mile and last-mile networks.
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The bootcamp is convened by Local Access Networks (LocNet), a joint initiative of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) and Rhizomatica, and hosted by CITAD, with participation from MAJI, Fantsuam Foundation and Hello World.
The programme is supported by the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) through its Digital Access Programme, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) and 48percent.org.