The Federal Government has announced plans to connect all Nigerian schools to reliable internet services, aiming to strengthen digital learning and expand access to modern educational tools nationwide.
The initiative was disclosed on Tuesday in Abuja by Folasade Boriowo, Director of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education.
It followed a high-level directive from President Bola Tinubu to expand digital infrastructure across key sectors, including education.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said the programme would harness technology, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), to improve teaching and learning.
The plan seeks to provide coordinated internet access across all education levels, from primary and secondary schools to universities and colleges.
Alausa explained that the programme builds on the Nigerian Research and Education Network (NgREN), which previously connected tertiary institutions through a World Bank-funded initiative.
“We aim to revive and extend this connectivity to all schools nationwide,” he said.
The government is deploying approximately 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic broadband and installing around 3,700 telecommunications towers, with special attention to rural and underserved communities.
Schools would be deliberately connected as fibre and tower infrastructure is rolled out.
To coordinate the effort, the NgREN governing council would expand to include representatives from foundational and secondary education, while two technical working groups would oversee implementation across tertiary and lower education levels.
Alausa expects visible results within three months.
Improved connectivity is expected to enable students and teachers to access global learning platforms, emerging technologies such as AI, and support examination reforms through a gradual shift to Computer-Based Testing (CBT) for national exams.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, highlighted the importance of distributing internet capacity inland.
“Nigeria hosts eight international subsea cables, the most in Africa, but without sufficient fibre networks, schools and communities cannot benefit,” he said.
The federal government emphasised that this initiative represents a critical step toward modernising Nigeria’s education sector and bridging the digital divide for millions of students across the country.
