The House Representatives are advocating for free Internet access for public schools, hospitals, federal, state, and local government offices, secondary and tertiary institutions.
Others are health centres in rural areas, police, Army, Navy, and Customs barracks, public parks, plazas, libraries and reading centres, public airports and seaports, and public transport terminals.
During its initial reading this week, a bill titled “An Act to establish the legal framework for a free internet access program in designated public areas across Nigeria and for other related purposes” was introduced.
This legislation is sponsored by Mr. Abubakar Kusada, the representative for the Kankia/Ingawa/Kusada Federal Constituency in Katsina State.
Kusada stated that Nigeria acknowledges the crucial importance of information and communications technology in the process of nation-building. He underlined the commitment to fostering an environment that facilitates the development of infrastructures aimed at ensuring dependable and secure internet access is both available and accessible to all.
Sections of the bill states,“No fee shall be collected from users to connect on the public internet access points. The free internet service provided shall be separate from the internet service used for backend computer systems and programmes, databases, and/or management and information systems in government offices, provided that the shared use of infrastructure shall not be prohibited.”
“Technical solutions that may limit or restrict access shall only be employed where there is a clear and present technical risk or breach that cannot be remedied through ordinary technical solutions, provided that technical solutions that can likewise maintain or promote ease of access shall be prioritized and pursued.”
“NCC and NITDA shall be the lead implementing agencies that will oversee the effective and efficient implementation of this Act. Others include the Nigerian Satellite Communications Limited and the Nigerian Internet Group, an internet advocacy group.”
