ACCORDING TO ESTIMATES FROM THE WORLD BANK, INCREASED ACCESS TO INTERNET COVERAGE OVER A THREE-YEAR PERIOD REDUCED EXTREME POVERTY IN TANZANIA AND NIGERIA BY SEVEN PERCENT. . THE BANK MADE THIS KNOWN IN A BRIEF TITLED, “DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION DRIVES DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA.” IT SAID INTERNET ACCESS ALSO LED TO AN INCREASE OF EIGHT PERCENT IN LABOUR FORCE PARTICIPATION AND WAGE EMPLOYMENT. THE BRIEF FURTHER HIGHLIGHTED THAT OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS (2016 – 2021), SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA EXPERIENCED AN EXTRAORDINARY 115 PER CENT INCREASE IN INTERNET USERS, A CHANGE THAT HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN SPURRING ECONOMIC GROWTH, FOSTERING INNOVATION, AND CREATING JOB OPPORTUNITIES. 

WITH OVER FIVE MILLION ACTIVE INTERNET SUBSCRIPTIONS IN NIGERIA, THERE IS STILL THE NEED FOR WIDER INTERNET COVERAGE TO BOOST INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC GROWTH.THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS, INNOVATION AND DIGITAL ECONOMY, DR BOSUN TIJANI, RECENTLY NOTED THAT THE COST OF DATA IN NIGERIA WAS STILL ONE OF THE CHEAPEST IN THE WORLD BUT LAMENTED THAT MANY OPERATORS ARE NOT WILLING TO LAY FIBRE IN MANY PARTS OF THE COUNTRIES OUTSIDE THE MAJOR CITIES BECAUSE IT WOULD BE UNPROFITABLE.