US To Deploy 1,500 Wireless Stations Across Nigeria, West Africa

Tuesday May 19, 2026
www.thenewsdesk.ng

The United States, US government is funding a feasibility study to deploy approximately 1,500 mobile communications base stations across Nigeria, Ghana, Benin and Côte d’Ivoire, in what Washington has framed as a deliberate push to replace Chinese-made wireless infrastructure in West Africa with American-made alternatives.

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) announced the funding on Tuesday, saying it would support a study for Vanu Côte d’Ivoire, a subsidiary of Massachusetts-based Vanu Inc., to assess the commercial viability of deploying turnkey mobile base stations across the four countries.

Georgia-based Vernonburg Group LLC has been selected to conduct the study, which will evaluate existing network infrastructure, analyse market conditions, assess legal and regulatory frameworks and develop a financing plan for full-scale implementation.

USTDA Deputy Director Thomas R. Hardy said the initiative was about offering West African countries a secure alternative to infrastructure he described as insecure.

“USTDA is bringing private sector solutions to unlock widespread, affordable, trusted internet access in off-grid communities across West Africa,” he said.

“By helping American companies compete in these critical markets, we are offering an alternative to insecure infrastructure while creating export opportunities that make America more prosperous.”

The language is a pointed reference to Chinese telecommunications firms, whose equipment dominates wireless networks across much of West Africa.

Washington has in recent years aggressively pushed allies and partner nations to exclude Chinese-made infrastructure, particularly from Huawei and ZTE, from their telecommunications networks, citing national security concerns.

The USTDA initiative represents the same strategic posture applied to West Africa’s off-grid and rural connectivity gap.

Vanu’s chief executive Andrew Beard said the deployment would demonstrate that delivering broadband internet and voice services to some of the most economically and operationally challenging markets in the world could be profitable, sustainable and scalable.

“The USTDA study will help catalyse new investment, expand US exports, and accelerate deployment of trusted, secure digital infrastructure to connect billions of people worldwide,” he said.

Vanu already has an established presence in the region. The company has previously deployed off-grid wireless solutions in Nigeria’s Edo and Delta states, as well as in Benin, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, and its CEO has previously described Nigeria as “a really exciting place to operate” with a population he described as right in the sweet spot for adoption of mobile connectivity.

The project is expected to address the persistent urban-rural connectivity gap across West Africa, providing millions of people in communities that remain offline or limited to outdated 2G and 3G networks with access to faster, more reliable mobile services.