FG Pledges to Connect all Parts of Nigeria to High Speed Internet

The Federal government has pledged to work hard to connect every part of Nigeria to high speed internet.

Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of Science and Technology, stated this on Monday when he received on a courtesy visit, the executive team of VIASAT Inc. in his office in Abuja.

He further emphasized that all parts of Nigeria, either urban or rural areas must be connected to high-speed data internet.

As part of strategies to realize the objective, the Minister said that the Ministry will partner with VIASAT Inc. to provide high speed internet data services, to urban and rural areas that have not been covered by existing service operators.

He said Information Communication Technology (ICT), was key in achieving and building a knowledge-based society, and that Internet data services will bring a lot of improvement to Nigeria’s socio-economic development.

Similarly, Onu further stated that the Ministry’s space agency National Space Research and Development Agency (NARSDA) will partner and work out a programme on certain key modalities with the tech. firm, adding that the Ministry is working hard to ensure Nigeria has more satellites in space.

He congratulated VIASAT Inc. for being mentioned as one of the top tech. firms as listed on “FORTUNE Magazine” and urged it to bring its wealth of experience to the country so as to enhance our technological development.

Earlier, Keven Kirk Lippert, Executive Vice- President of VIASAT Inc.  said his firm had invested $2 billion on satellite technology to provide high-speed internet data to Nigeria and Africa as a whole.

He further said that the essence of the internet data services was to improve healthcare services and educational services to the people of Africa.