A rural enterprise advocate, Hassan Yakubu, has appealed to Gov. Uba Sani of Kaduna to restore telecommunications services in rural communities across Birnin Gwari and parts of Chikun, Giwa and Igabi Local Government Areas.
Yakubu made the appeal in an open letter to the governor on Monday in Kaduna, expressing concern that many communities had remained without functional mobile network services since September 2021.
He acknowledged that the shutdown was introduced as part of measures to address insecurity, adding that many affected communities remained disconnected in spite of subsequent government directives to restore services.
Yakubu, who has spent nearly two decades in telecommunications, particularly recharge card distribution and SIM registration, said the prolonged blackout had caused significant economic losses.
He clarified that Birnin Gwari town itself was not completely without network services, noting that Glo had good coverage, MTN was weak, while Airtel was unavailable.
He said some MTN and Airtel infrastructure might have been vandalised during the years of insecurity, noting that the telecommunications operators would need to confirm the situation.
Yakubu said his major concern was the continued absence of network coverage in the outskirts of Birnin Gwari and farming communities across parts of the four affected local government areas.
He explained that while local government headquarters and some major towns had network coverage, numerous surrounding villages remained disconnected.
Yakubu said he had personally experienced the economic consequences of the prolonged blackout, which disrupted his recharge card distribution and SIM registration businesses.
He said recharge card sales collapsed and SIM registration activities stopped when network services were shut down, forcing many agents to lose their livelihoods.
According to him, he was fortunate to continue operating in other locations, unlike many customers and business operators who had no similar opportunities.
He said point-of-sale operators, mobile money agents, recharge card retailers and other small businesses dependent on mobile connectivity had also suffered substantial losses.
Yakubu cited Udawa in Chikun Local Government Area as an example of an agricultural community whose commercial potential had been constrained by the absence of conventional mobile network services.
He described Udawa as a potential major agribusiness hub because of its red maize production and trade, attracting farmers, produce buyers, transporters and traders from different parts of Nigeria.
According to him, the community had remained without functional conventional mobile network services since 2021.
Yakubu said some of his customers in Udawa reported that business partners who previously sent money for agricultural purchases had stopped doing so because reliable communication had become difficult.
He said the affected transactions involved red maize, goats, cattle and other agricultural produce, adding that communication difficulties had disrupted established business relationships.
Yakubu said a few residents who could afford it had resorted to expensive alternatives such as Starlink to maintain connectivity.
He added that others relied on WhatsApp voice notes, Facebook Messenger calls and messages whenever they could access an internet connection.
Yakubu explained that a businessperson in Kano or Lagos seeking to send millions of naira to a trusted partner in Udawa would struggle to negotiate prices, arrange transportation and monitor transactions without reliable communication.
He said the resulting losses affected farmers, produce traders, transporters and labourers who loaded agricultural goods, as well as wholesalers, retailers and processors elsewhere in Kaduna State and beyond.
Yakubu added that declining commercial activities could also reduce government revenue as businesses closed and transactions diminished.
He said communities with considerable agricultural potential should be contributing more significantly to food production, employment and internally generated revenue.
On banking, Yakubu recalled that Birnin Gwari town lost access to conventional banking services during the worst years of insecurity following attacks on banking infrastructure.
He welcomed the resumption of Unity Bank operations in the town, describing it as a positive development for residents and businesses.
However, Yakubu said the return of banking services to Birnin Gwari town had not resolved the challenges facing surrounding villages without mobile network coverage.
Yakubu said students also faced difficulties accessing online learning materials and registering for examinations because of limited connectivity.
He added that the blackout restricted residents’ access to digital government services and emergency communication.
Yakubu further expressed concern that the absence of reliable telecommunications services could affect access to voter information and the electronic upload of election results in affected communities ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He acknowledged improvements in security across the Birnin Gwari axis under the Gov. Sani administration, noting that motorists could increasingly travel along the Birnin Gwari road beyond 4 p.m.
Yakubu said motorists had previously found it difficult to travel along the road beyond that time because of insecurity.
He added that many farmers who had abandoned their farms had returned, while agricultural and commercial activities were gradually recovering.
Yakubu said the improved security situation should be followed by deliberate efforts to restore telecommunications services and enable communities to recover economically.
He observed that although the original shutdown was introduced as a security measure, the prolonged absence of network services had also made it difficult for residents to report security threats, contact relatives and seek emergency assistance.
Yakubu said there had been reports of threats and attacks affecting efforts to restore telecommunications infrastructure, urging the relevant authorities to investigate and address the concerns.
He called for damaged or vandalised infrastructure to be restored, with adequate security provided for telecommunications engineers and other personnel working in affected communities.
Yakubu appealed to the Kaduna State Government to convene the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), telecommunications operators, security agencies and representatives of affected communities to develop a practical restoration plan.
He urged the government to begin by identifying villages that remained disconnected, particularly those on the outskirts of Birnin Gwari and in affected parts of Chikun, Giwa and Igabi.
Yakubu also called on the government to explore available interventions through the NCC, including the Universal Service Provision Fund, which supports telecommunications access in underserved communities.
Yakubu said five years was too long for communities contributing significantly to Kaduna State’s economy to remain without reliable telecommunications services.
He said the return of farmers to their farms was encouraging, adding that restoring connectivity would help them sell produce, receive payments, attract buyers and rebuild their businesses.
