Taking care of the telecoms poor, by Okoh Aihe

They include the following key targets that are measurable: Local Government Connectivity-connecting all 774 local government secretariats across Nigeria to enhance internet access and promote e-governance; Public Service Infrastructure-broadening coverage to 30,000 Primary Health Centres and 100,000 schools to bridge the rural-urban digital divide; and Satellite Infrastructure Expansion-deploying multi-band and dual-band satellites to expand coverage for the roughly underserved population in sub-Saharan Africa.

The minister’s other measurable programmes include: Project BRIDGE-partnering with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to secure private equity for a $2bn initiative to roll out 90,000 km of open-access fibre optic cable across Nigeria; China’s Connectivity Support-funding from China Industrial Bank and SINOSURE under the Nigeria Universal Access Project (NUCAP) to connect over 20m Nigerians in underdeveloped communities; EU Digital Economy Package; and Digital Villages-collaborating with Globacom and Huawei to establish solar-powered, telemedicine-enabled digital learning hubs in rural communities.” Ironically, the UN agency for digital technologies stated that, with one-quarter of the world’s population offline, commitments to Partner2Connect will directly support the goal of achieving universal, meaningful connectivity-ensuring everyone has access to affordable and reliable Internet and the skills to use it safely and effectively.