Nigeria and the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) have announced the award of a USTDA grant to Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy (FMCIDE) for a feasibility study to support internet access for 12 million people through the deployment of new fibre optic backbone infrastructure across the country.
FMCIDE says it has selected US-based HIP Consult, an independent management consulting firm with a specialisation in ICT, to conduct the study.
The study will support Nigeria’s National Broadband Plan 2020-2025, particularly its targets to increase the country’s broadband penetration rate from the current 42.27% to 70% and to ensure that at least 90% of the population has access to affordable, reliable broadband coverage.
The study will assess the deployment of at least 90,000 kilometres of new fibre optic backbone infrastructure along existing routes of the national power grid, railways, roads, and oil and gas pipelines.
It will identify gaps in the backbone infrastructure market and develop strategies to bridge those gaps to strengthen connectivity across Nigeria, including to underserved and hard-to-reach communities.
Enoh T Ebong, USTDA’s Director, says: “As Nigeria and the United States deepen our cooperation in the technology sector, USTDA is proud to partner with FMCIDE to deliver concrete action in support our shared digital infrastructure goals. This project will help expand connectivity to Nigeria’s urban and rural communities while opening opportunities for trusted US technologies to advance the country’s digital priorities.”
Source: Developing Telecoms
