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Nigerian govt approves N24.2bn for internet connection in airports, schools, malls

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The federal government, on Wednesday, approved the budget of N24.20 billion to install broadband internet connections in at least 20 airports, 43 schools, and six shopping centers around the country.

Prof. Isa Pantami, the minister of communication and digital economy, made this information public to State House reporters following this week’s Federal Executive Council meeting, which was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The six geopolitical zones, with an average of three airports from each, are used to select the local and international airports, according to Pantami.

All six geopolitical zones are also represented in the higher education institutions and markets that will gain from the five-month experiment.

He said the broadband infrastructure would ensure connectivity in airports, ease e-learning in schools and ease mobile transactions in markets as the economy goes cashless.

The Minister also revealed that the the Nigeria Communications Commission is the implementing institution.

“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.

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“In each geopolitical zone, you have around three airports. In the southwest, we have Lagos and Ondo. For the South-East, we have Anambra and Enugu.

“For the South-South, we have Port Harcourt and Akwa Ibom. For the North-Central we have Abuja and Ilorin. In the North-West, we have Kano, Sokoto and Kebbi. For the North-East, we have Yola, Maiduguri and Gombe,” Pantami explained.

According to the Minister, the broadband project also includes “43 higher educational institutions at the federal and state levels.”

They consist of polytechnics and public and private universities.

The council previously approved a similar memo in 2022 for the provision of unlimited internet in 17 universities and one college of education. This approval follows that one.

“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.

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