The Nigerian Federal Government said it is launching a Special Purpose Vehicle, SPV, to deliver an additional 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic cable to complement existing connectivity and provide universal access to the internet across Nigeria.

Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy Tijani Bosun said the Federal Executive Council, FEC, approved the project during its meeting on Tuesday.

The minister noted that FEC also approved the establishment of the Nigeria Startup House in San Francisco.

He said the two projects should grab the attention of local tech ecosystem players and investors as key indicators of the government’s commitment to addressing the country’s connectivity and startup funding objectives.

He averred that the project, upon delivery, will become Africa’s 3rd longest terrestrial fibre optic backbone, after Egypt and South Africa.

According to him: “This extensive coverage will enable us to optimise the unique benefit of having eight submarine cables already landed in Nigeria and therefore drive uptake of the data capacity that the cables offer beyond the current usage level of 10 per cent.

“Building on our existing work with the Broadband Alliance, this increased connectivity will help plug the current non-consumption gap by connecting over 200,000 educational, healthcare, and social institutions across Nigeria, ensuring that a larger section of our society can enjoy the benefits of internet connectivity.”