Free InternetThe Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved two contracts worth N24.20 billion for the provision of broadband for free internet in 75 public places across the country, including 20 airports, tertiary institutions, and markets, to help micro, small, and medium-sized businesses.
Professor Isa Ali Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, made the announcement Wednesday while briefing State House reporters following a federal cabinet meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He stated that the projects approved following the presentation of two memos would be carried out by the Nigerian Communications Commission, a parastatal overseen by the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.
The minister stated that 20 domestic and international airports were chosen, with an average of three from each of the six geopolitical zones.
“In the South West, you have two in Lagos and one in Ondo,” he says. Imo, Anambra, and Enugu are in the South East. South South is served by Port Harcourt, Akwa Ibom. You have Abuja and Ilorin for North Central. Kano, Sokoto, and Kebbi are the North West states. Yola, Maiduguri, and Gombe are in the North East.”
“The project’s duration is four months minimum and five months maximum, and there is budgetary provision for that,” he said. Furthermore, the administration has secured the funding to support the implementation.
“We learned bitter and better lessons during COVID-19, and we don’t want to go back to that; we want to ensure that students and staff have access to unlimited internet.” We understand the difficulty of landing without connectivity at airports. So, if there is free internet connectivity, it will at the very least make our airports more lively.
“Third, for market, it’s to support innovation-driven enterprises championed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where we try to give global visibility to our innovators, to our micro, small, and medium enterprises, so that their market is not narrowed and limited only to our local communities,” he explained.
