The Federal Government has inaugurated a digital village pilot project providing free internet access to the rural community of Ibwa 2, Isuanin Kura, Gwagwalada, in the Federal Capital Territory, in a bid to bridge Nigeria\u2019s digital divide.\n<\/p>\n
Speaking at the launch on Wednesday, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, disclosed that over 20 million Nigerians remain without any form of telecommunication access.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you bring out your phone in many communities, you will see there is no network at all.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is costing the country significantly because people cannot access financial services, medical care cannot be supported remotely, and education is suffering,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Tijani further stressed the often-overlooked security implications of poor connectivity, saying, \u201cThose locations that are not covered become difficult to govern. The president has mandated an investment in about 7,000 telecom towers nationwide. What we are doing here today is the first pilot of that plan.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Ibwa 2 community, home to over 12,000 people, is among the first to benefit from this initiative, alongside neighbouring areas with no telecommunications whatsoever.\n<\/p>\n
According to the minister, the project goes beyond just enabling phone calls.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are using the same equipment to connect the hospital here. Huawei has donated equipment that allows medical practitioners in this facility to consult doctors worldwide.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just witnessed the community chief speak with a doctor in Abuja via this technology,\u201d he said.\n<\/p>\n
Education is also being transformed through remote teaching.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the local school, where there are insufficient teachers, a science teacher from Lagos will now teach the children remotely through this equipment,\u201d Tijani added.\n<\/p>\n
Highlighting the community-wide access, he said, \u201cThere is community Wi-Fi here that anyone can connect to, enabling them to access global opportunities.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
The minister emphasised the government\u2019s commitment to inclusivity, saying, \u201cWhere you live should not determine whether you have access. Over 80 per cent of unconnected communities are in the North, so this project prioritises those areas while balancing connectivity nationwide to bring nearly all Nigerians online.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
He acknowledged the collaboration with top industry players, notably Huawei.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are working with the best companies to manage these infrastructures sustainably,\u201d Tijani said.\n<\/p>\n
To promote affordability, the ministry, alongside Huawei, donated 125 mobile phones to the community chief.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThese phones cost about $25 each and are among the cheapest smartphones globally.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cWe aim to test and introduce affordable devices widely, and also explore local manufacturing options,\u201d the minister revealed.\n<\/p>\n
The Ibwa 2 pilot represents a significant step towards Nigeria\u2019s digital inclusion and the government\u2019s broader goal of integrating all citizens into the digital economy.\n<\/p>\n
Also speaking, the Managing Director of Huawei Nigeria Enterprise, Terrence Wu, described the partnership as a groundbreaking effort rooted in innovation and collaboration.\n<\/p>\n
He outlined the project\u2019s three core pillars\u2014mobile connectivity, digital education and accessible health services\u2014as essential to fostering inclusive and resilient communities.<\/p>\n
Wu stressed that Huawei\u2019s technology, combined with Globacom\u2019s infrastructure and the ministry\u2019s leadership, would deliver high-speed networks and telemedicine to underserved areas.\n<\/p>\n
He said the initiative was a commitment to empower rural Nigerians with access to education, healthcare and economic opportunities, ensuring no one is left behind in the digital age.\n<\/p>\n
Globacom\u2019s Head of Division for North West, Mr Kazeem Kaka, described the launch of the Nigerian National Digital Village as a landmark moment in the country\u2019s digital transformation.\n<\/p>\n
He praised the collaboration between the Ministry of Communications, Huawei, and Globacom for extending connectivity to underserved communities, calling it a \u201cbold announcement towards an inclusive digital future.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Kaka highlighted the critical role of affordable mobile phones and internet access in empowering Nigerians with opportunities in education, healthcare, and commerce.\n<\/p>\n
He urged the residents of Ibwa 2 community to protect the infrastructure and fully utilise the new digital resources to build a prosperous future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Federal Government has inaugurated a digital village pilot project providing free internet access to the rural community…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":139419,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3161],"tags":[22563,51952,60715,60716,60717,60718,60719,60720,3082,60721,53,60722,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-139927","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-internet","8":"tag-abuja","9":"tag-bosun-tijani","10":"tag-digital-inclusion","11":"tag-digital-village","12":"tag-fg-project","13":"tag-free-internet","14":"tag-huawei-nigeria","15":"tag-ibwa-2","16":"tag-internet","17":"tag-rural-connectivity","18":"tag-technology","19":"tag-telemedicine","20":"tag-uk","21":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114588034201264614","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139927","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=139927"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139927\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/139419"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=139927"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=139927"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=139927"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}