The Federal Government has signed a $10 million Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the West Indian Ocean Cable Company (WIOCC) for the provision of broadband fibre connectivity to 3 million Nigerian homes.
The MoU was signed on in Abuja, with the Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy signing on behalf of the Nigerian government.
Under the agreement, no less than three million Nigerian homes would be connected with a hyperscale open-access digital platform for internet service providers (ISPs) through advanced fibre and colocation facilities.
Details of the agreement show that the WIOCC Group will invest in Nigeria’s digital infrastructure, deploying fibre and colocation facilities to improve broadband quality and accessibility as well as provide digital infrastructure training and support job creation for Nigerian youth.
The firm also plans to partner with ISPs to connect more homes and businesses.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, said the development is timely given the recent hike in telecommunications service tariffs, which he described as a “very difficult decision for the government.”
He emphasised that the Federal Government is clear about the role of internet connectivity in societal development, noting that achieving President Bola Tinubu’s vision of a $1 trillion economy would require robust connectivity infrastructure.
“Our intention is not to create a situation where the cost of providing these interconnectivity services continues to rise. There is more than one way to achieve meaningful connectivity,” he said.
Highlighting the importance of diversifying connectivity options beyond mobile networks, Tijani said “You cannot limit people to just their mobile. We have to ensure that we encourage investment in different parts of the value chain or supply chain to get connectivity to people. One of those areas that Nigerians have not truly benefited from is fibre to the home.”
He expressed optimism that the connectivity landscape will expand to include fibre to offices, government institutions, schools, and hospitals, describing the partnership as a significant step toward achieving these goals.
The minister also stated that the Federal Government would work with sub-national governments to ensure that innovative interconnectivity services are delivered to Nigerians.
