The initiative is expected to be implemented in partnership with internet service providers, with connectivity infrastructure to be deployed in selected public spaces across the senatorial district.

According to the senator, the programme is designed to improve access to the internet for residents, especially youths, entrepreneurs, and content creators who increasingly depend on digital tools for education, business, and innovation.

Akpoti-Uduaghan disclosed the plan on her Facebook page after a recent visit to Idah Local Government Area in Kogi East, where she endorsed a similar proposal raised by local stakeholders.

She described internet access as a modern economic necessity capable of driving employment, enterprise growth, and digital participation.

Her remarks underscore a growing recognition among public officials that broadband connectivity is no longer a luxury but critical infrastructure for economic development.

Why Free Wi-Fi Matters

Across Nigeria, access to affordable and reliable internet remains a major challenge, particularly outside major urban centres.

Many young people face high data costs, poor connectivity, and limited digital infrastructure, restricting opportunities in remote work, e-learning, e-commerce, and content creation.

Public Wi-Fi initiatives such as the one proposed in Kogi Central can help bridge this divide by:

• Lowering the cost of internet access
• Enabling online learning and digital skills acquisition
• Supporting small businesses and startups
• Helping creators monetise online platforms
• Improving access to government and financial services

For students and job seekers, such access can be transformational.

Digital Economy Opportunity

Nigeria’s digital economy continues to expand, with technology, fintech, media, and online services creating new employment pathways. However, participation in that economy depends heavily on connectivity.

By proposing free Wi-Fi in community locations, Akpoti-Uduaghan is aligning local development with national digital transformation goals, including inclusion, innovation, and youth empowerment.

Collaboration over Competition

The senator also called for stronger cooperation among Kogi State’s three senatorial districts, Central, East, and West, arguing that development should be driven by collaboration rather than rivalry.

She said shared ideas and coordinated execution would produce faster progress for citizens across the state.

What Comes Next

According to her, discussions with internet providers will begin immediately, while suitable locations for installation are being identified.

If successfully executed, the project could become a model for constituency-led digital infrastructure programmes in Nigeria.

As broadband access becomes increasingly central to education, business, and governance, local interventions like this may prove essential in connecting underserved communities to the opportunities of the digital age.

The experts sitting as panellists at a webinar organised by the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) in partnership with Sterling Bank, this week, reiterated that adequate education and awareness would mitigate the fraud in the financial sector.

A report by the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) shows that at third quarter of 2023, the Nigeria banking sector lost over N9.5 billion naira to electronic fraud.

Also, a fraud and forgeries, First Quarter 2023 report by FITC, underscored the pressing need for proactive measures in the face of escalating cyber threats.

To this end, the NCS webinar which was sponsored by Sterling Bank had the theme ‘Information Security in the Financial Sector’.

Leading the discussions, Professor Adesina Shodiya, the immediate past president (IPP) of NCS said that education and awareness are very important in promoting financial security.

Sodiya said that training of the employees was vital because ‘what you do not know is bigger than you and what is bigger than you can cost one a lot’.

He said that training of employees, creating awareness and education of customers would mitigate the challenges of fraud faced by financial institutions.

According to Sodiya, digital payment is a good development because of the convenience, however, the challenge is that majority of the people using such platforms do not have sound knowledge of information security “and are not bothered”.

“The way to go is education, training and security awareness because a lot of attack is going on in the financial sector, not reported.

“Employees must have training and knowledge about best practices and such training should be done in such a way that it would be of interest to the employees.

“So, the financial industry should continue to prepare against any form of attack because we will continue to see new wave of attacks. They need all forms of mechanism to protect their systems,’’ he said.

According to the IPP of NCS, it is also very important for financial sector to conduct research so as to protect resources entrusted to them.

Dr Tombari Sibe, the lead forensic examiner, Digital Footprint Nigeria Limited, said that Ransomware has been of concern in recent times and financial services sector is the most impacted.

Sibe said that financial service sector is data-centric hence the increase in ransomware threat and vulnerability attributed to new technology trends.

“As Financial service sector and customers, these things are real and it is good to take it seriously. It is also good that NCS and Sterling Bank are bringing it to fore burner’.

According to him, there is need for education, need to know what to do and not to do such as clicking on link of suspecting source or give out   information on phone.

The security expert also said that one should not hop on any free WiFi because it is easily hacked and financial vectors should take care of their enterprise; have an incidence response plan, business continuity plan, among others.

He however commended the financial sector for the compliance level with regards to the Nigeria Data Protection Law.

Also speaking at the panel discussion, Dr. Oluseyi Akindeinde, the founder and chief executive officer, Hyperspace Technologies Ltd., said that a lot of organisations have ditched capacity training for their employees due to the brain drain syndrome witnessed in the country.

Akindeinde said that the training, capacity building, competence development and education should be reintroduced.

According to him, investigation carried revealed that the human compromise is a threat to information technology security; “a lot of internal people that were trained and administrators of the information security are now out-of the country and sabotaging the system”.

He said inspite all, capacity building should be maintained and all time monitoring system should be set up.

Speaking on the need for regulation, Akindeinde said that innovations proceeds regulation and one cannot regulate what one does not understand.

He said that in trying to regulate, policy makers are over-regulating hence they (policymakers) need to have sound knowledge about technology to develop helpful regulations.

The Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) led by Dr. Muhammad Sirajo Aliyu as the president, is the umbrella organization of all information technology professionals, interest groups and stakeholders in Nigeria.