North-West Youths Urge FG to Expand Broadband Access in Rural Communities

Youths in Nigeria’s North-West have called on the Federal Government to expand broadband infrastructure in rural and underserved communities to improve access to education, employment, entrepreneurship and public services.

The demand was contained in the consolidated recommendations from the North-West Youth Conversation held on October 10, 2026, under the National Youth Confab 2026.

The youths urged the government to provide reliable internet connectivity and promote affordable internet access and digital devices to enable young people to participate in the digital economy.

They also called for expanded digital literacy programmes targeting young people, women, persons with disabilities and other underserved groups.

The recommendations stressed the need to establish accessible digital learning centres and community technology hubs through collaboration between public and private institutions.

The participants identified reliable electricity as a key requirement for expanding digital access, supporting online learning and enabling technology-driven businesses to thrive.

They further urged the government to support digital skills training in computer literacy, coding, data management, digital marketing and cybersecurity to improve young people’s employment prospects.

The youths also called for stronger cybersecurity awareness and measures to protect individuals and businesses against online fraud, identity theft and data breaches.

They urged authorities to ensure that digital public services are accessible, user-friendly and available in clear language, including local languages where appropriate.

The recommendations further called for measurable targets to track progress in internet connectivity, affordability, digital skills acquisition and public participation.

The youths also raised questions about the measures the government would introduce to expand affordable broadband in rural communities and address the high cost of data and digital devices for low-income young people.