The Nigerian government is targeting an expansion of its fibre optic infrastructure with a new $2 million agreement signed with the US government. The agreement, announced during a U.S.-Nigeria Technology Dialogue held in Washington, D.C, will assess the feasibility of expanding Nigeria’s fibre optic infrastructure by at least 90,000 kilometres to boost the country’s internet penetration.
The event was led by US Deputy Secretary Kurt Campbell, who hosted a senior Nigerian delegation led by the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani. It was an important platform where both countries discussed the key opportunities and challenges in the digital space.
The agreement comes with a financial aid provided by the US Trade and Development Agency, aiming to take Nigeria’s broadband penetration from 42.27% to 70% while ensuring that 90% of the population have access to cheap and reliable internet service.
Campbell expressed optimism that the new deal aligns with Nigeria’s National Broadband Plan 2020-2025, noting that the project will boost digital connectivity which is very essential to economic growth and development.
- Advertisement -
Also, he noted that the new agreement and funding provided will help support digital skills developments and talent cultivation. In addition, the collaboration will focus on capacity and infrastructure building that will aid AI development in the Nigerian digital ecosystem.
