The Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) says it has expanded broadband connectivity to over eight states and 45 local government areas across Nigeria as part of the implementation of its ambitious Project 774 initiative.
Project 774 was designed to enhance connectivity in local government secretariats, which are essential points for citizens to access services like birth, death, and marriage registrations. The initiative focuses on reducing the digital divide by ensuring that local governments are linked to central and state-level authorities through reliable broadband access.
Dr Bosun Tijani, Minister for Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy, further explains the importance of the project. “Project 774 is focused on providing connectivity to local government secretariats, because if you remember, the closest form of government to our people are the local government secretariats, where people go for birth, death, and marriage registration. They play a crucial role in citizen-government interactions. However, many of these locations are not connected. What you would find is a disconnection not only from where the services are being provided, but also from the people who manage the services centrally, whether at the state level or the federal level.”
Nkechi Egerton-Idehen, CEO of NIGCOMSAT, highlights three key achievements aligned with Nigeria’s renewed hope agenda for its digital economy. These include upgrading NIGCOMSAT’s infrastructure with Ku-band, C-band, and Ka-band platforms to expand broadband coverage, and partnering with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy on Project 774.
According to Egerton-Idehen, “Project 774 saw us in eight states and 45 local governments, providing broadband connectivity to the local government secretariat.” She further explains the broader scope of the initiative. “Three, it was a great year for us to enable the ecosystem. So we did what we called the startup accelerator programme for the space ecosystem, and with that, we have commenced a journey which we are looking forward to achieving in greater heights in 2025.”
Minister’s Perspective on Project 774
Dr Bosun Tijani, Minister for Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy, further explains the importance of the project. “Project 774 is focused on providing connectivity to local government secretariats, because if you remember, the closest form of government to our people are the local government secretariats, where people go for birth, death, and marriage registration. They play a crucial role in citizen-government interactions. However, many of these locations are not connected. What you would find is a disconnection not only from where the services are being provided, but also from the people who manage the services centrally, whether at the state level or the federal level.”
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