Buhari sets ambitious Broadband connectivity target aiming to have all 774 local government hooked up

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has set ambitious targets for a national Broadband network directing that an additional 18,000km of fibre infrastructure be installed across the country to provide connectivity to all 774 local government areas over the next four years.

 

Delivering an address to the fifth World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, China, President Buhari, speaking through his spokesman Mallam Garba Shehu, said that Broadband connectivity is needed  to harness the potential of the internet and digital access for jobs, education, healthcare, identity management and to increase productivity in the public sector. He explained that the goal is to, within four years, provide fibre connectivity to all local government areas and provide the right licensing framework as well as the necessary subsidies to encourage investment.

 

To this end, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Nigeria Industrial Policy and Competitiveness Advisory Council, chaired by vice president Professor Yemi Osinbajo, have jointly launched the National Broadband Penetration Programme. This is a public-private initiative to ensure the deployment of 18,000km of fibre infrastructure to Nigeria’s existing stock of 38,000km of fibre cabling.

 

To facilitate the programme, two additional infrastructure companies have been licensed in 2018, to roll out broadband infrastructure in Nigeria. Mallam Shehu told the conference that Nigeria’s Social Investment Programme, including the N-Power Youth Employment Scheme, has provided 500,000 beneficiaries with electronic tablet devices for learning and self-development.

 

He added: “Together with previous licensees and other private sector players, these companies will help implement the government’s vision of total national broadband connectivity. Another aspect of the N-Power focuses on training young software engineers and coders."

 

Mallam Shehu added that the Buhari administration has begun the development of technology and innovation hubs across the country, in partnership with the private sector, pointing out that a total of eight these hubs are planned across the country, with four already functional. He also spoke about partnerships between the Nigerian government, Facebook, Google, and Huawei to roll out the Internet across the country, adding that the recently established technology advisory body chaired by the vice president will provide support to companies and initiatives.

 

He specifically thanked Chinese companies like Huawei for being supportive of the Nigerian government’s efforts at digital inclusion and expanding access. Mallam Shehu lauded Huawei for sponsoring Nigerian students for ICT training in China, recalling that in 2016 the company opened a technology hub known as the Huawei Innovation and Experience Centre, in Lagos with a pledge to train 12,000 Nigerians, including 2,000 civil servants.

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