Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, has said that the Federal Government is taking measures to provide free access to the internet in public places across the country.

Speaking in Abuja at a one-day stakeholders’ workshop on the role of the Public Internet Access for Economic Development, Shittu said the government was working towards ensuring that internet accessibility is made available to all Nigerians.

“We are trying to ensure the vision of free Wi-Fi all over, particularly in public spaces, at the airport, schools and all that. The Federal Ministry of Communications will ensure the privacy of beneficiaries of the free internet services is protected,” he said.

He said, for this vision to be made a reality, more foreign and local investments were needed as the government alone cannot handle the financial responsibilities involved.

The minister listed some of the challenges faced by the government in providing free internet services to include high cost of access, low broadband penetration, poor internet infrastructure and poor enabling environment.

“The solutions to these challenges are beyond government’s intervention. In order to bridge the existing digital divide and encourage more Nigerians to participate in the global digital economy, private organizations and international partners are encouraged to support the government in different strategic ways.

“One of the models being adopted recently is the provision of free internet access by Public Internet Access Providers (PIAPs) in strategic locations to help more Nigerians connect to the internet in pursuit of social and developmental objectives for a return on investment through advertisement or other means.

“This is expected to fuel some changes especially in creating jobs and help local SMEs compete with global brands,” he added.