The Kaduna State Government has signed a Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with Mobile Telecommunication Company, Airtel on expanding broadband access in the State.
Governor, Nasiru El-Rufai during the signing of the MoU expressed gratitude to Airtel for agreeing to be partners in achieving a minimum of 3G coverage across the state.
“You are not only providing services that enhance lives and livelihoods but also doing your corporate social responsibilities, like the school in Zaria and many other things that you are doing. I would like you to know for sure that we appreciate it.
“These MoU is a major landmark for our administration because about 41 locations which were identified with black-spots across the state have no telecom services at all. We have been pursuing the NCC to deploy the Universal Service Provision Fund to fill those gaps without much success.
“3G coverage is the minimum we need in this century for people to pursue quality lives and livelihoods, we believe in that very strongly.“
Governor El-Rufai said his desire to achieve the 3G coverage had pushed the government to actually budget N390 million to build sites and give to the telecommunication company.
He assured Airtel of his commitment to make the agreement work and make them all proud of the outcome adding that this would also provide job opportunities needed for the young people to not only have access to digital platforms but to acquire digital skills and prepare to be competitive in this century.
“The future of work is digital, the future of life is digital, the future of livelihoods is digital. And we believe this because Covid-19 has shown us beyond all doubt that the future is virtual and digital.
“This agreement with Airtel for us is a landmark step in the life of this government. We hope to build on this. We hope that our successors will build even higher levels of penetration of digital technologies to every nook and cranny of Kaduna State.
“Kaduna state will do whatever it takes to make this a venture that Airtel will be proud of, that Airtel will benefit from and the people of Kaduna state will be better for it,“ the Governor added.
PIAK
