This was announced on Tuesday in Abuja by NASRDA spokesman Felix Ale.
On November 30th, the FEC gave the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission's (ICRC)-guided NASRDA project its stamp of approval. It is estimated that the project, which will be run on a 15-year concession basis and generate N28 billion in revenue and create 10,000 jobs, will increase internet access and reduce crime.
Mr. Ale stated that a partnership with Gilat Satellite Network and Gleo Technology, a leading global developer of satellite communication equipment, would be used to carry out the project.
"The project is basically the design, financing, building, operation, and transfer of a fast, affordable, reliable, and high-speed fixed broadband internet based on advanced satellite technology through a public-private partnership," Mr. Ale said. A key goal of the project is to help Nigeria reach its goal of providing 90% of its population with access to high-speed, fixed-broadband internet at a cost of no more than N390 per gigabyte by 2025.
He claims that the implementation of this project will result in a minimum 30% increase in fixed broadband penetration in Nigeria from its current pitiful level of 0.2%.
He went on to say that the project's green light was a result of the National Broadband Plan 2020–2025 being implemented, as well as the Presidential Executive Order No. 5 of 2018, which aimed to increase the amount of indigenous Nigerian content in government contracts, STEM fields, and technological development.
For better national security in Nigeria, Mr. Ale explains, "this will help in job creation, closing technology gaps, increasing revenue generation for the nation, and enhancing Nigeria's global recognition in the field of communication equipment manufacturing."
