Nigerian govt targets 24-hour internet, power supply to special institutions

The federal government has inaugurated fibre-to-home to hostels at the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) as part of plans to ensure a 24-hour internet supply to special institutions nationwide before the end of 2026.

The Minister of Education, Maruf Alausa, said at an event in Abuja on Wednesday that the federal government was determined to provide the enabling environment for teaching and learning to thrive.

Mr Alausa said that UniAbuja was a special institution, now enjoying 24-hour internet supply, adding that other special institutions would enjoy the same before the end of 2026.

“President Bola Tinubu is energising institutions. We have special institutions in the country today enjoying 24-hour electricity via the presidential renewable mini-grid project, the solarisation project.

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“University of Abuja is one of the beneficiaries. You have a 3.3 megahertz mini-grid here, and everybody can attest to it now that you have 24-hour electricity supply.

“The president is not stopping there. Before the end of next year, literally all the special institutions will have mini-grid. You will all enjoy 24-hour electricity supply,” he said.

It is expected that the regular power supply would support the internet facility.

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani said that UniAbuja was the first of the seven universities in the first phase of the pilot scheme.

Mr Tijani said that by the end of July, the seven institutions would have been connected.

“This initiative we are launching here today is the first of the seven in a pilot scheme, and by the end of July, we would have connected the seven universities.

“Galaxy Backbone has the infrastructure in place already; all we are doing is to take the fibre to hostels.

“We have taught it to be important that Nigerian university students cannot continue to learn without access to meaningful connectivity.

“When we give you this access, that not only are you going to be better in what you are learning, but you are actually going to create the future that our president is asking that we create as a nation,” he said.

READ ALSO: UPDATED: Tinubu dissolves UniAbuja governing council, sacks Maikudi as VC

The Acting Vice-Chancellor of the university, Patricia Lar, in her welcome address, lauded the project, adding that it will benefit the school community.

“It is a special initiative that is going to create opportunities for students of all economic status to access data to be able to use for knowledge and education and to feed their creativity with ease.

“We are grateful for deploying fibre to our hostels. This also works with the solar power backup that has been installed on our campus.

The President, Medical Students Association of the institution, Faith David, who spoke on behalf of the students, expressed delight with what the government had done by connecting their hostels to fibre for Internet access.

“We appreciate both ministers for this initiative. We are enjoying 24-hour power and now our hostels have been connected to internet to make learning easier for us,” she said.

(NAN)