The Federal Government has officially connected the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) hostels to fibre broadband, marking a major step towards providing 24-hour internet access to special institutions nationwide by the end of 2026.
The launch of the fibre-to-hostel internet infrastructure at the University of Abuja took place on Wednesday.
The Education Minister, Dr. Maruf Alausa, highlighted the government’s efforts to improve learning through better digital and power infrastructure upgrades.
He noted that the fibre-to-home project will provide seamless internet access to students directly in their hostels.
He added that the University of Abuja, being one of the country’s designated special institutions, is already benefiting from uninterrupted power supply and now high-speed internet connectivity.
“President Bola Tinubu is energising institutions. We have special institutions in the country today enjoying 24-hour electricity via the presidential renewable mini-grid project, the solarisation project,” Alausa said.
“The University of Abuja is one of the beneficiaries. You have a 3.3 megahertz mini-grid here and everybody can attest to it now that you have a 24-hour electricity supply,” he added.
According to the minister, the power supply will serve as a backbone to support the continuous availability of internet services on the campus.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, explained that the project at UniAbuja is the first phase in a broader initiative that will cover seven universities in the pilot stage, to be completed by July.
“This initiative we are launching here today is the first of the seven in a pilot scheme, and by the end of July, we would have connected the seven universities.
“Galaxy Backbone has the infrastructure in place already; all we are doing is to take the fibre to hostels.
“We have taught it to be important that Nigerian university students cannot continue to learn without access to meaningful connectivity.
“When we give you this access, not only are you going to be better in what you are learning, but you are actually going to create the future that our president is asking that we create as a nation,” he said.
Tijani stressed that providing reliable internet would not only enhance students’ academic performance but also enable them to contribute to the nation’s digital transformation.
The Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof. Patricia Lar, described the initiative as inclusive and transformational for students, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds.
“It is a special initiative that is going to create opportunities for students of all economic status to access data to be able to use for knowledge and education and to feed their creativity with ease,” she said.
“It is a special initiative that is going to create opportunities for students of all economic status to access data to be able to use for knowledge and education and to feed their creativity with ease,” she said.
She also acknowledged the synergy between the internet project and the campus’s newly installed solar power system, which supports the infrastructure.
Faith David, President of the university’s Medical Students Association, speaking on behalf of the student body, commended the government for the initiative, highlighting that students were now benefiting from 24-hour electricity and internet access in their hostels, which has made learning more convenient.