House of Representatives Proposes Free Internet Access in Public Schools

The House of Representatives has initiated efforts to introduce free internet access across selected public locations in Nigeria. This development follows the first reading of a bill last week 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,” which was sponsored by Mr. Abubakar Kusada, the representative of the Kankia/Ingawa/Kusada Federal Constituency in Katsina State.

While advocating for the bill, Kusada emphasized Nigeria’s commitment to leveraging information and communications technology for national development. He highlighted the importance of creating an environment that fosters the development of infrastructure to ensure reliable and secure internet access for all.

According to the bill, the proposed law covers various public locations, including federal, state, and local government offices, secondary and tertiary institutions, public hospitals, rural health centers, military and paramilitary barracks, public parks, plazas, libraries, airports, seaports, and public transport terminals.

Section 1 of the bill specifies that no fee will be charged to users connecting to these public internet access points. It also mandates that the free internet service be separate from the internet used for internal government operations, ensuring that shared infrastructure does not compromise service availability.

The bill further outlines that technical restrictions on access should only be applied in cases of significant technical risks or breaches that cannot be resolved through standard solutions. Priority will be given to measures that promote ease of access wherever possible.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) are designated as the lead agencies responsible for setting standards, qualifying public locations, and overseeing the effective rollout of the program. They are tasked with developing a comprehensive plan within a year to ensure seamless implementation, in collaboration with federal, state, and local governments, private sector partners, and relevant stakeholders.

Section 6(1) of the bill also encourages partnerships with private sector entities to optimize the delivery of free internet access, with provisions for excess capacity to be used for supplementary paid services where necessary.

The proposed law aims to make internet access more affordable and widely available by promoting data exchange through designated domestic internet protocol exchanges. This would ultimately reduce costs and expand connectivity in public spaces across Nigeria.