FG takes broadband infrastructure to 18 higher institutions, 20 markets

By Business AM

The federal government of Nigeria has awarded contracts for the deployment of broadband infrastructure in 18 tertiary institutions across Nigeria, comprising 17 universities and 1 College of Education.

Each of the projects will cost N400 million, as approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), Isa Pantami, minister of communications and digital economy, said.

Similarly, 20 markets selected from across Nigeria would also benefit from the broadband infrastructure projects, he said.

services startup, exits Nigeria Chisom Nwatu Just months after it launched its operations in Nigeria, South African cleaning services platform, SweepSouth, has shut down its Nigerian operation effective from November 25, 2022. The company hinged its decision to leave Nigeria on the ‘unfavourable global macroeconomic development’. SweepSouth is the second South African company to announce its exit from Nigeria in the past month. Last month, Game Store announced that it will leave the country by December 25, 2022. In a notice to its Nigerian customers ahead of the shutdown, SweepSouth said the decision was difficult to make. “This has been a difficult decision to make considering our passion to serve the Nigerian market. We know this decision will negatively impact our SweepSouth Community and SweepStars," the company said. “Due to the unfavourable global macroeconomic environment, the home services industry continues to hit hard. This has meant that our business cannot sustainably operate due to economic pressures being faced at the moment," it said. SweepSouth said while it would no longer be operating in Nigeria, it would continue to keep abreast of activities in the Nigerian market and work towards a potential re-entry into the market at a later date. SweepSouth raised an $11 million investment in September 2022 to facilitate its pan-African expansion. Part of that expansion effort saw the start of its short-lived Nigerian operation. The company is still operational in South Africa and Egypt, where it acquired FilKhedma, an online marketplace for home maintenance and improvement services such as plumbing, carpentry, electricity, air conditioning, painting and appliances. Founded in 2014 by Aisha Pandor and her husband, Alen Ribic, and backed by over $15 million from venture capitalists, including Alitheia IDF and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, SweepSouth takes 40,000 bookings per month across its three markets—South Africa, Kenya and Egypt.

The projects are part of moves to achieve 70 percent broadband penetration in the country by the year 2025, as set in the Nigeria National Broadband Plan (NNBP 2020-2025).

At the award of the contracts letters in Abuja, Pantami said 18 institutions of higher learning, three from each of Nigeria’s six geo-political zones, will be the first set to benefit from the government’s broadband initiative.

The broadband projects will improve the quality of education in Nigerian schools and link local businesses with the international community for economic growth, he said.

The benefitting institutions include the University of Lagos; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; University of Nigeria, Nsukka; Federal University of Technology, Owerri; Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka; University of Calabar; University of Benin; and the University of Port Harcourt.

Others are Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; Bayero University, Kano; Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University, Katsina; Borno State University; Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi; Gombe State University; Federal University of Technology, Minna; University of Ilorin; University of Abuja; and College of Education (Special), Ibadan.

In the same vein, the markets selected three from each geo-political zone to benefit from the broadband projects include Computer Village in Lagos; Wuse market in Abuja; Kantin Kwari Market, Kano; Central Market, Lafia, Nasarawa State; Mandate Market, Ilorin; Jos Main Market, Plateau State; Jimeta Central Market, Yola; New Market, Gombe; Monday Market, Maiduguri; Central Market, Gusau, Zamfara State; Central Market, Katsina, Katsina State; and Bodija Market, Ibadan, Oyo State.

Others are Oja Oba, Akure, Ondo State; Kuto, Abeokuta, Ogun State; Ariaria International Market, Aba, Abia State; International Modern Market, Owerri, Imo State; Main Market, Onitsha, Anambra State; Watt Market, Calabar, Cross River; Oba Market, Benin, Edo State; and Swali Market, Yenegoa, Bayelsa State.