The news: 

• The Nigeria Communication Satellite Limited (NigComSat), a satellite company under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, has entered into a new partnership with Hotspot Network Limited to connect several rural communities across Nigeria.
• Under the partnership, the government-owned communication satellite service provider and Hotspot Network collaborated to extend connectivity solutions to areas in the country that lack Internet access.
• In a recent address, Jane Egerton-Idehen, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NigComSat, disclosed the news. 

According to Egerton-Idehen, the partnership will have NigComSat provide satellite coverage for transmission for Hotspot Network sites wherever required as the company begins its expansion plans. 

Noting that Internet access in many parts of Nigeria, particularly rural areas, has remained low, she stated that the partnership would provide reliable and affordable Internet services in these underserved communities nationwide.

Per a 2023 report by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), only about 40% of the country’s population has access to broadband Internet.

“The current administration has set ambitious targets to boost Nigeria’s broadband penetration rate to 70% by the end of 2025 as part of the National Broadband Plan. They aim to provide coverage for at least 80% of the population, especially the underserved and unserved areas, by the end of 2027,” Egerton-Idehen read. 

She assured that the company’s latest collaboration with Hotspot Network Limited will support this goal by providing satellite coverage for their rural network expansion, reducing the gap of unconnected Nigerians from 61% to less than 20% by 2027.

Morenikeji Aniye, CEO of Hotspot, expressed enthusiasm over the new collaboration with NigComSat. 

“At Hotspot, connecting the millions of unconnected persons remains a cardinal objective of our mission. By combining our expertise and resources, we will be able to deploy innovative solutions that bring reliable and affordable internet access to rural communities, empowering them to participate fully in the digital economy and access essential services,” she added. 

NigComSat and Hotspot are expected to commence their joint initiative immediately, with plans to roll out the first phase of the project in some rural areas within the next six months.

Egerton-Idehen also disclosed the Federal Government’s plans to implement several other programmes to boost connectivity across the country, including Project 774 — an initiative by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, in coordination with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and other agencies.