...also across 43 higher institutions and 6 SME hubs in the country
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has today approved two memos of the Nigerian Communications Commission seeking to provide free broadband networks for 20 Nigerian airports across the country’s six geopolitical zones.
The memos also established the provision of free broadband connection to 43 higher institutions, having previously approved 18 earlier and six market/SME hubs within the country.
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, disclosed this when he briefed State House correspondents on the outcome of the Council meeting presided by President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa, Abuja on Wednesday, March 29.
He said the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) would provide Internet facilities at designated airports and institutions. He says:
“The Federal Executive Council has approved two memos for the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) a parastatal under the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy. In these memos, certain intervention projects are going to be implemented by the NCC. Internet will be provided in 20 selected airports in Nigeria and higher institutions of learning as well as some markets to support micro, small, and medium enterprises.”
Prof. Isa Pantami, Nigeria’sMinister of Communications and Digital Economy
”A contract was awarded for the provision of broadband in some selected airports. 20 of them are going to be covered in the first phase of the project”, the minister added.
The Minister continued by listing the facilities and airports that have been designated for the installation of broadband equipment. He claimed that airport passengers would have free access to high-speed Internet, and he added that a sustainability model had been created for efficient facility upkeep.
”You have three airports in each geo-political zone. In the South-West, you have two in Lagos State, one in Ondo State; South-East, Imo, Anambra, and Enugu States will benefit; Rivers and Akwa-Ibom States for South-South.
North Central has the Federal Capital Territory and Kwara State; Kano, Sokoto, and Kebbi States will benefit from the North-West, while Borno, Adamawa, and Gombe States will benefit from the North-East Region.”
Furthermore, the minister highlighted the cost of providing these broadband infrastructures to higher institutions and airports. He noted that the higher institutions would comprise both universities and polytechnics.
“Some of them are universities, some polytechnics, and the price for the contract which covers the airports and institutions of learning is N18.95 billion. The second approval was for the provision of broadband to some selected markets, at the cost of N5.25 billion.”
The total for both memos is N24.20 billion and the project is going to be implemented by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), he explained.
More on the free broadband coverage
Speaking on the memo he presented to the FEC, Pantami explained that the broadband infrastructure would ensure connectivity in airports, ease e-learning in schools, and enhance the transition to a cashless economy by easing mobile transactions in markets.
“In these two memos, certain intervention projects, are going to be implemented by the federal government of Nigeria through the Nigerian Communications Commission of providing Internet in 20 selected airports in Nigeria and higher institutions of learning and also some markets to support micro small and medium enterprises.
Isa Pantami
After the council’s earlier approval of a similar memo in 2022 to provide unrestricted internet in 17 universities and one college of education, the expansion of the free broadband infrastructure to federal varsities and polytechnics followed quickly.
“So this one is the second phase of the project. And in the first memo approved today, we have 20 airports, both domestic and international. And in addition, we also have 43 institutions of learning. So in total, 63 institutions are going to benefit and the price for this is N18.95bn.
“The second memo is for the provision of broadband to selected markets…six markets are going to benefit from this and the price is N5.25bn,” he said.
Also addressing the correspondents, the Minister of Environment, Dr Mohammed Abdullahi, revealed that the Council approved N41.4 billion to construct a Centre of Excellence for environmental restoration in the Kana Local Government Area of Rivers.
He said: ”I presented two memos, one was for the award of contract for the construction of a centre of excellence for environmental restoration in Kana Local Government Area of Rivers State in the sum of N41,472,263, 848.60, with a completion period of 24 months.”
According to him, the centre will facilitate an efficient and cost-effective approach to contamination management and environmental restoration and provides training on environmental remediation.