The Federal Government has announced plans to connect all schools across Nigeria to reliable internet services, aiming to strengthen digital learning and expand access to modern educational tools.
The initiative, disclosed in Abuja by Folasade Boriowo, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, was discussed during a high-level meeting between the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani.
According to Alausa, the project follows a directive from President Bola Tinubu to expand digital infrastructure across key sectors, including education. He said the initiative will harness technology, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), to improve learning outcomes and provide students and teachers with access to digital resources.
The plan involves creating a coordinated framework to ensure connectivity across all levels of education, from foundational and secondary schools to universities and colleges. It builds on prior efforts under the Nigerian Research and Education Network (NgREN), which improved broadband access for tertiary institutions through a World Bank-funded programme, but slowed after the funding cycle ended.
“Connectivity is not limited to broadband fibre alone. It also involves telecommunications towers, satellite systems, and other digital infrastructure needed to provide reliable internet access nationwide,” Alausa said.
The federal government plans to deploy approximately 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic broadband infrastructure and install around 3,700 telecommunications towers, particularly in rural and underserved areas. Schools will be deliberately connected as these networks are rolled out.
To enhance coordination, the governing council of NgREN will be expanded to include representatives from foundational and secondary education, and two technical working groups have been established to drive implementation across all levels of the education sector.
Alausa expressed optimism that the first phase of the initiative will show visible improvements within three months, enabling students and teachers to access digital learning platforms, global knowledge resources, and emerging technologies such as AI. The expanded connectivity will also support examination reforms, including a gradual transition to Computer-Based Testing (CBT) for national examinations.
Minister Tijani stressed that technology-driven education cannot thrive without reliable connectivity. He noted that while Nigeria hosts about eight international subsea internet cables—the highest in Africa—the challenge lies in distributing this capacity inland through extensive fibre networks to reach schools and communities nationwide.
“Most internet capacity enters Nigeria through submarine cables landing in Lagos, but without sufficient inland fibre infrastructure, that capacity cannot effectively reach schools and communities across the country,” Tijani said.