Abuja – The Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson, said that the Federal Government would launch itsFibre-optic Research and Education Network, connecting 27 universities to the Internet by July.
Johnson announced the plan in Abuja on Tuesday at the ongoing Ministerial Platform when she presented the ministry’s achievements in the two years of theadministration of President Goodluck Jonathan.
She said the project currently being tested was part of the ministry’s initiative to make Nigerian students a priority in the development of the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector.
She said that the project was in collaboration with Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission, Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) and World Bank STEP-B in the deployment of the education network to institutions.
“Next month we will launch that Fibre-optic Research and Education Network that is connecting 27 Federal universities to each other by the Internet.
“ The USPF supporting this project is expected to also connect 12 medical colleges, 28 off campus sites and nine federal universities by September 2013,” she said.
She said that more state universities, polytechnics and colleges of education were expected to be connected to the network by 2014 and 2015.
Johnson said the ministry had initiated another programme, called “Tertiary Institutions Access Project (TIAP)” under which desktop computers, printers, and wireless network facilities, among others, would be provided for tertiary institutions.
She said, “the ministry through its TIAP project had established connectivity in 17 universities and their teaching hospitals using fibre optics technology.
“Since the implementation of the programme, about 204 institutions have connected to it, with 74 institutions in 2012.
“We also have another programme, `School Access Project (SAP), providing classmate PCs, with e-learning content and accessories, solar power solutions, high speed Internet connectivity and wireless network deployment to government public schools
“This has been implemented in 605 schools between 2010 and 2012 withadditional 218 schools in 2013
“All federal and state universities have now signed up for our Student Computer Ownership Scheme that allows students to purchase laptops using a low interest facility with monthly repayment plan of between N3,500 and N5,800,’’ she said.
Johnson, who decried low rate of adoption of ICTs by Nigerians, addedthat 0.9 per cent of households owned a PC, 3.6 per cent had access to one and 3.1 per cent accessed the Internet.
“An unacceptably high number of Nigerians are excluded from infrastructure that can meet their basic needs,’’ the minister said.
She said that increasing the spread of ICTs, particularly through mobile phones, could be a means through which this could be corrected.
She noted that the ministry was extending communications infrastructure to un-served and under-served areas through the Accelerated Mobile Phone Expansion (AMPE-BTS) programme that was helping to deploy Base Stations in rural areas.
“A total of 54 base stations has been installed while additional 28 are planned for 2013.
“We also have Rural Broadband Initiative (RUBI) that provides wholesale Internet bandwidth to ISPs, Cyber cafes, and ICT centres like Community Communication Centres (CCC) in rural communities.
“Of the 18 pilot sites selected, 12 are 95 per cent completed and transmission testing is currently ongoing in Akure and Osogbo,’’ she added.
Johnson said that the ministry was working to ensure that Nigerians had access to Internet at affordable prices, irrespective of their economic background.
She noted that with the interventionof the ministry, the number of base stations in Nigeria had increased exponentially since the inception of GSM service from 116 in 2001 to about 21,000 by 2010.
“The pace of growth has, however, slowed even as some existing base stations have been decommissioned as a result of terror attacks, theft andvandals.
“About 150 base stations were lost in2012 due to bombings and flooding; twice as many dependent base stations were also affected,’’ she said.
Johnson said the numbers of base stations in the country was expected to rise from the current 27,000 to 65,000 in 2018 to meet the national target of a five-fold increase in broadband penetration by 2018. (NAN

There are already signs of this project in sm Nigerian Universities already, eg UNIBEN, UNICAL, etc.. The conclusion of d ongoing laying of broadband/fibre optics and connection of Nigerian Students/Lecturers/Researchers to d Unlimited trove of online Journals/ libraries from this July (?), wud be one of d MOST CRITICAL IMPROVEMENTS in d standards of Tetiary Education in Nigeria. It wud be a REALLY BIG deal indeed..... God's speed to those involvd in this project

taharqa2: There are already signs of this project in sm Nigerian Universities already, eg UNIBEN, UNICAL, etc.. The conclusion of d ongoing laying of broadband/fibre optics and connection of Nigerian Students/Lecturers/Researchers to d Unlimited trove of online Journals/ libraries from this July (?), wud be one of d MOST CRITICAL IMPROVEMENTS in d standards of Tetiary Education in Nigeria. It wud be a REALLY BIG deal indeed..... God's speed to those involvd in this project

Really? Good news indeed. I hope they complete the project.

As an IT staff in a federal university, this project or projects will be as the others one - a grand scheme to loot. The fibre optics currently being laid in the universities have been paid in full by the universities unless this new guys want to come and roll out another fibre. We already had a functional VSAT and fibre network when NCC came that they want to give us another VSAT and that in fact it had already been paid for. They brought another dish and put up wireless hotspots which they commissioned and went away; its stopped working since they left. Every year if you look at the NCC accounts you will see some money paid to ISPs for bandwidth that is not in use in Nigerian universities. While we were still wondering at the wonderful works of NCC, galaxy came with their own VSAT too that they are donating bandwidth to the university. The same thing that happened to NCC is the same thing with galaxy. Instead of them to come and meet the universities and find out what we need to take our infrastructure to the next level - they award bogus contracts through NUC and end up duplicating projects which end up being abandoned.

ZINOX on the other hand came around to the university and after looking at our needs decided to help out with some relevant equipment that is building upon existing infrastructures.

since you are aware of the situation, profer a solution.
On there next visitation advice them of your needs and present the solution.

kunlekunle: since you are aware of the dituation, proger a solution.
On there next visitation advice them of your needs and present the solution.

That is the issue, they do not visit, they sit at ABUJA and share the money through award of spurious & bogus contracts.

thats why we need participatory democracy.
you identify who is who and hold them accountable.

otokx:

That is the issue, they do not visit, they sit at ABUJA and share the money through award of spurious & bogus contracts.

you have a good point as well, they hardly visit and allocations are made every year for all these activitoes