Nigeria's Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved N3.6 billion for the purchase of computers and Internet access in two hundred and ninety schools in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Authority, Abuja.
The Minister of Information and Communications, Professor Dora Akunyili, said the project was awarded with the aim of “creating a generation of Nigerians with broad base theoretical and practical knowledge of ICT, who can leverage on this when they step into the labour market.”
She explained that the project will offer each school: Classmate personal computers for students, two laptops for each teachers; one server; internet broadband connections with bandwidth paid two years in advance; solar systems which will supply power; wireless mesh and charging platforms that can connect all computers in each school and create a full wireless environment in the school.
She said, "The initiative was a project aimed at facilitating connectivity in government schools, libraries and institutions in under-served, un-served and rural areas to broadband Internet.
Under the programme, each school will receive equipment and facilities that would link them to high speed Internet, and they would be encouraged to share these facilities with their surrounding communities on a commercial basis to support maintenance and ensure sustainability."
She also revealed that the contract was awarded to ZINOX Technologies Ltd. and will be handled by the Ministry of Information and Communications through its Universal Service Provision Fund. It is expected to be completed in 36 weeks.
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FEC Zaria, Kaduna state, Nigeria May 20, 2010
I think what we have currently on ground is still a far cry from what it should be. The first thing is that there must constant and affordable electricity, political will and transparency.
Employing IT and imbibing IT culture, computerization, or e-governance by whatever means require a level of transparency. What about the. What about the one laptop per child initiative of which the current minister was part of the system that approved the initiative. Now we are dumping the initiative for a more lucrative 3.6 billion dollars contract at the expence of tax payers money which shall not see light at the end of the day.
Nwa Mma Delhi, India May 20, 2010
Should we charge this computers from the School wall or Electricity? The federal Government must Answer this Question. We dont need so much Promise from this regime. What we need is Action.
Ola Erogun Lagos, Nigeria May 20, 2010
This is a worthy investment this Government has made and is highly commendable but the contractor should do a good job which will give value for this huge investment.
