Tinubu Declares Connectivity a Right, Presses Telcos to Prioritize Educational Access
Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu has called on telecommunications operators to guarantee unhindered internet access to educational institutions, framing connectivity as a fundamental citizen right rather than a purely commercial service.
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President Bola Tinubu has positioned internet connectivity as a fundamental right for Nigerian citizens, urging telecommunications operators to move beyond commercial considerations when providing access to educational institutions across the country.
The directive, delivered this week, represents a significant policy signal from the Nigerian government about the intersection of digital infrastructure and educational equity. While telecommunications companies have historically prioritized profitable urban markets and high-value commercial clients, Tinubu's intervention suggests mounting pressure to treat educational connectivity as essential infrastructure rather than discretionary service.
Beyond Commercial Logic
According to Vanguard News, President Tinubu acknowledged that telecommunications operators typically operate according to commercial considerations, but emphasized that educational platforms require a different calculus. The statement frames connectivity not as a luxury product subject to market forces, but as a baseline requirement for citizen participation in modern society.
This framing carries substantial implications for how telecommunications infrastructure is regulated and deployed in Nigeria. If connectivity becomes recognized as a right rather than a service, it creates legal and policy foundations for mandating coverage in underserved areas, including educational institutions that may lack the purchasing power of corporate clients.
The timing of Tinubu's appeal reflects broader challenges facing Nigeria's education sector. Many schools, particularly in rural and peri-urban areas, struggle with intermittent or non-existent internet access, creating a digital divide that compounds existing educational inequalities. Students in well-connected urban centers can access online learning resources, digital libraries, and distance education programs, while their counterparts in poorly served regions remain effectively locked out of the digital knowledge economy.
The Infrastructure Gap
Nigeria's telecommunications sector has experienced remarkable growth over the past two decades, with mobile penetration rates climbing steadily. Yet this expansion has been uneven, following the commercial logic that Tinubu referenced. Operators have concentrated infrastructure investment where returns are highest, leaving significant coverage gaps in areas where population density or purchasing power cannot justify the capital expenditure.
Educational institutions fall into a peculiar category within this commercial framework. Universities, polytechnics, and secondary schools represent large concentrations of users, but their ability to pay premium rates for enterprise-grade connectivity often falls short of what telecommunications operators require to prioritize service delivery. Public institutions, operating on constrained budgets, frequently cannot compete with commercial clients for bandwidth and reliability.
The President's characterization of connectivity as a citizen right suggests potential policy interventions beyond moral suasion. These could include regulatory requirements for educational institution coverage, subsidized connectivity programs funded through universal service provisions, or preferential licensing terms for operators who demonstrate commitment to educational access.
Regional Context and Digital Ambitions
Tinubu's connectivity push aligns with broader continental trends toward recognizing internet access as foundational to development. Several African nations have embedded digital rights into policy frameworks, recognizing that economic participation, civic engagement, and educational opportunity increasingly depend on reliable internet access.
For Nigeria, with its ambitions to position itself as a regional technology hub, educational connectivity represents both immediate necessity and strategic investment. The country's large youth population and growing technology sector require a pipeline of digitally literate graduates. Without reliable connectivity in educational institutions, that pipeline faces significant constraints.
The practical implementation of Tinubu's directive remains to be seen. Telecommunications operators face legitimate infrastructure challenges, including vandalism of network equipment, inconsistent power supply, and the high cost of extending fiber networks to remote locations. Any sustainable solution will need to address these operational realities while advancing the policy goal of universal educational access.
What the President's statement does accomplish is a rhetorical shift in how connectivity is discussed at the highest levels of Nigerian government. By framing internet access as a right rather than a commodity, Tinubu establishes a foundation for more assertive policy interventions. Whether telecommunications operators respond with voluntary improvements in educational service delivery, or whether regulatory enforcement becomes necessary, will define the practical impact of this declaration in the months ahead.
For millions of Nigerian students, the stakes extend beyond policy debates. Reliable internet access increasingly determines who can participate fully in education, who can access global knowledge resources, and who can develop the digital skills that labor markets demand. The President's appeal to telecommunications operators acknowledges this reality, even as the hard work of translating principle into practice remains ahead.