Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani
In the first quarter of 2024, Nigeria plans to introduce an initiative to promote the development and adoption of broadband in the following states: Edo, Ogun, Kwara, Katsina, Imo, Abia, Borno, and Nasarawa.
The Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy is the driving force behind the National Broadband Alliance for Nigeria, an initiative designed to address low-fibre network rollout in the nation.
Broadband Access for All: Introduction Deepening Nigeria’s National Backbone and Middle Mile Infrastructure is a white paper published by the minister’s office, Dr. Bosun Tijani.
Without consistent and inexpensive Internet access, people and communities are finding it more difficult to navigate the connected world of today. The white paper highlights that these barriers can be of an economic or knowledge-sharing nature.
The National Broadband Alliance for Nigeria is a multi-stakeholder collaboration aiming to achieve universal broadband access across the nation. The country needs at least 120,000km of fibre optic cables to achieve its coverage goal, but laying these cables is a challenge due to numerous problems. The alliance aims to provide unprecedented benefits in speed, reliability, and future scaling.
Announcing the initiative, the paper stated, “To tackle the low and non-consumption challenge and its resultant poor ROI in nationwide fibre network, the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital economy has initiated a National Broadband Alliance for Nigeria to foster collaboration for broadband development and adoption, as well as position Nigeria at the forefront of the global digital landscape.”
It continued, “Recognising the imperativeness of broadband in economic development, the alliance will bring together key stakeholders from the public and private sectors, as well as civil society, to collaboratively develop sustainable business model(s) for driving the adoption and consumption of Internet in key critical public institutions (schools, hospitals, government offices, libraries and markets etc.) across the nation.”
The Nigerian National Broadband Network (NBN) is set to launch a pilot initiative to expand broadband services nationwide. The alliance will involve government agencies, telecommunication companies, technology providers, and civil society organizations.
The initiative will work with regulatory bodies to streamline processes and remove obstacles to broadband network deployment. The aim is to drive digital inclusion and awareness, ensuring all segments of society benefit from broadband connectivity.
The pilot will begin in seven states before Q1 2024, including Edo, Ogun, Kwara, Katsina, Imo, Abia, Borno, and Nasarawa. The initial states will be chosen based on their broadband investment and fibre optic challenges.
Tijani disclosed the X whitepaper, “Broadband Access for All,” in a tweet “A constant conversation in my time as Minister has been around the quality of internet services, so as I head out to @wef next week, I will be focusing on securing partnerships for 2 key initiatives to bridge the internet quality and access gap in Nigeria.
“To expand further on the first step towards this, I am sharing a whitepaper (Link here – b.link/BAFA-1) that outlines our plan to build an alliance which plugs the non-consumption gap so we can guarantee affordable access for all, including rural and underserved parts of Nigeria.”