The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, has said Nigeria’s ambition to become a $1tn economy hinges on providing quality internet access to its citizens, particularly the youth.
Speaking at the launch of the Fibre-to-Hostel project at the University of Abuja on Wednesday, Tijani reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to connect all educational institutions across Nigeria to reliable, high-speed internet.
“I know they have this, I think they’re doing this in about 12 universities as a start-up. They’re launching about four or five before the end of this month. But I know the minister said it all. It’s an unrepentant transformation.
“And I know before the next several months, all educational institutions will be connected to the internet to give our students the opportunity to learn the way education should be delivered, a modern way of learning, giving you the infrastructure you need,” he said.
The minister praised President Bola Tinubu’s vision for economic growth, stressing the link between connectivity and opportunity.
“Nigerian students, you have a president who has your back. President Bola Tinubu has your back. It’s creating infrastructures that you need to be the best in the world.
“If we grow a Nigeria that is truly a $1tn economy, it means that for the teeming youth population, we have job opportunities for you,” he said.
Tijani described internet access as both an enabler and leveller, offering equal opportunities regardless of one’s background.
He stated, “For the first time in the history of humanity, we have a technology that offers and gives opportunity to all of us on an equal level. And when you take that into consideration, you probably will then understand why access to good quality internet is important.”
To inspire the students, he shared success stories of Nigerian tech entrepreneurs who rose from humble beginnings.
The minister stressed that young Nigerians today have unprecedented access to knowledge and opportunity thanks to technology.
“You live at a time where you do not need to wait for anyone to spoon-feed you. Even while you are in school, technology offers the opportunity for you to access knowledge that we couldn’t access when we were young.”
On the government’s promise to expand nationwide internet access, he said, “We want every Nigerian to have access to a minimum of 25 Mbps regardless of where they live. What you have here today is meant to give you a minimum of 50 to 100 Mbps, more than what we’ve actually promised to the entire country.”
He urged students to hold internet service providers accountable. “If you get access to it, if it doesn’t work, report to me. Do you know how to find me? Of course, you’re young people, social media. Find me on social media, complain, and I’ll make sure that Galaxy Backbone and our partners do all they need to do to make it work.”
Tijani concluded by charging students to leverage the opportunity and use it to build Nigeria’s future.
“We hand down the responsibility to you that this internet access we’re giving to you that you leverage it for good,” he said.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, described the Fibre-to-Hostel initiative as the start of many transformative projects aimed at improving Nigeria’s education sector.
He urged young Nigerians to take full advantage of the opportunities the government is providing to help transform the country.
Alausa commended Tinubu’s leadership, noting that the difficult decisions taken in the past two years have led to significant infrastructure improvements, economic stability, and enhanced security.
He stressed that education is the foundation of any society and stressed the importance of providing quality education to develop critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and informed citizens.
The minister explained that the introduction of high-speed internet to student hostels will give students access to digital textbooks and journals, facilitate seamless research, and promote collaboration, thereby enhancing the overall quality of education across the country.
The Acting Vice Chancellor of Yakubu Gowon University (formerly University of Abuja), Patricia Manko-Lar, praised the innovative leadership of the Ministers of Education and Communications, saying Nigeria is fortunate to have such visionary individuals driving change.
Manko-Lar commended the Galaxy Backbone initiative for providing high-speed internet access to student hostels, highlighting its potential to bridge the digital divide and enhance learning opportunities for students of all backgrounds.
Manko-Lar expressed gratitude for the government’s investments in infrastructure, noting that the university now benefits from 24-hour electricity through the solar mini-grid project, which complements the new digital connectivity to improve the quality of education.