Free Internet Services to be Introduced in Public Places in Nigeria

The Nigerian House of Representatives has taken a significant step towards providing free internet services in public places across the country. Last week, a bill titled “An Act to provide the legal framework for the free internet access programme in selected public places in Nigeria and for other related matters” was passed during its first reading. The bill aims to promote an environment that ensures the development of structures that would provide reliable and secure internet access to Nigerians.

The proposed law, sponsored by Mr. Abubakar Kusada, the representative of Kankia/Ingawa/Kusada Federal Constituency, Katsina State, focuses on making public places such as federal, state, and local government offices, secondary and tertiary institutions, public hospitals, and healthcare centers, police, Army, Navy, and Customs barracks, public parks, libraries, reading centers, airports, seaports, and transport terminals, accessible to the public free of charge.

According to the bill, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) will be responsible for implementing the programme. The two agencies will set standards and qualifications for determining which public places will be included and prioritized for the programme’s rollout.

The bill also encourages partnerships between the NCC, NITDA, and private sector entities to ensure efficient service delivery. The excess capacity of private sector partners may be offered to deliver supplemental internet access service for a reasonable fee to users in areas where programme facilities are located, provided that they register with the NCC as a value-added service provider.

Reducing costs and enhancing access, private service providers are encouraged to exchange data tariffs through domestic internet protocol exchanges designated by the NCC and NITDA. The minimum internet speed per user is expected to be two megabytes per second or as prescribed by the National Broadband Plan, whichever is higher.

The proposed law aims to promote an environment that ensures the development of structures that would provide reliable and secure internet access to Nigerians, recognizing the critical role of information and communications technology in nation-building. With this move, the government is taking a significant step towards bridging the digital divide and promoting digital inclusion in Nigeria.