THE federal government has disclosed moves to ensure 24-hour power supply and fibre optic internet connectivity in select tertiary institutions in the country before the end of 2026.
The government also said it planned to create 7,000 digital hospitals in rural communities across the country.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, and his education counterpart, Dr. Maruf Alausa, disclosed the plans in Abuja, Wednesday, while launching the projects at the Yakubu Gowon University (YGU), formerly University of Abuja.
Alausa stated that YGU was a special institution, and now enjoyed 24 hours’ power supply, saying other special institutions would enjoy similar facility before the end of 2026.
He said, “The president 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.
“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.”
Tijani stated that YGU was the first of seven universities in the first phase of the pilot scheme of fibre optic connectivity, adding that by the end of June they would have connected the seven universities.
The minister stated, “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.
“Your challenge today is what you do with the knowledge that you’re being given. And this is why to actualise the dream of our president, we’ve thought it to be important that Nigerian university students cannot continue to learn without access to meaningful connectivity.
“It is unacceptable because we know when we give you this access that not only are you going to be better in what you’re learning, but you’re actually going to create the future that our president is asking that we create as a nation.”
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Acting Vice Chancellor, Yakubu Gowon University, Professor Patricia Lar, in her welcome address, praised the project as laudable and valuable to the school community.
Lar said, “It’s 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 in our campus.”
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President, Medical Students Association, YGU, Faith David, who spoke on behalf of the students, said they were very happy with what the government had done by connecting their hostels.
David declared, “We appreciate both the Minister of Communication and the Minister of Education for this initiative, we are enjoying 24 hours power and now our hostels have been connected to internet to make learning easier for us.”
Tijani also disclosed on Wednesday in Abuja that the federal government was set to create 7,000 digital hospitals for rural communities.
He made the revelation when he unveiled a digital hospital and school at Ibwa 2 community in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Tijani said President Bola Tinubu had directed that the ministry provides the unserved with 7,000 digital health facilities.
“Nigeria has decided to invest 7,000 of these equipment in health,” he said, adding that there are about 20 million rural dwellers who don’t have access to such facilities.
The minister stated, “There are about 20 million people who cannot benefit from what we that live in the city or those who are nearer to the city are currently enjoying.
“Out of that 20 million people, over 80% of them are from the northern part of Nigeria. This is why Mr. President has demanded that we must put money into ensuring that this opportunity is not only available to those in the urban area but also that every part of the north must be covered with this equipment, so that we can give this opportunity to our people regardless of where they find themselves.”
Tijani stated that the project, being delivered in collaboration with Globacom Nigeria and Huawei Technologies Nigeria, would provide different digital services to over 12,000 residents of the community, and those within its environs.
He explained that the 7,000 digital schools and hospitals would provide services for 80 per cent of the 20 million unserved, who were in the northern states.
While in the community, the minister embarked on the test-running of the digital facilities at the community, with online conversation with a medical doctor in Abuja and teachers in Lagos.
He assured that the 7,000 projects would be delivered by the end of the year.
According to him, “We have donated 125 smartphones to the community through the village Head, which they can use for services provided by this facility with the free WiFi that we have provided.”
Managing Director of Huawei Technologies Nigeria, Terrens Wu, expressed delight over the collaboration between the government, his company, and Globacom Nigeria, saying it would lead to rural transformation and economic empowerment of rural dwellers.
Wu was full of optimism that as the project was being spread across the country it would deepen financial inclusion and boost economic activities.
He expressed the commitment of his company to rural and urban transformation in Nigeria.
“Huawei has the technology to shape the ways rural areas are carried along in the plan for digital transformation and literacy in the country,” he said.
Manager, Globacom Nigeria, North, Mr Kassim Kaka, emphasised the company’s commitment to ventures that would improve digital literacy and deepen inclusion in the country.
Village Head of Ibwa 2 community, Abubakar Bamaiyi, appreciated the government for the projects, saying in the past, government officials would visit the community and make promises, but nothing would follow.