Internet Connectivity: Lagos State Gives Update on Fibre Ducts, Data Compliance

The Lagos State government has provided an update on its ongoing projects designed to improve internet connectivity across the state.

These initiatives include the deployment of more fibre optic ducts, which will serve as a crucial infrastructure for internet service providers (ISPs) and telcos to deliver high-speed internet to residents and businesses.

According to the Lagos State Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology (LAMIST) on Monday, the first phase of a project to reduce the cost of Internet connectivity drastically had been completed.

The Commissioner, LAMIST, Mr Olatunbosun Alake, made this known while listing the ministry’s achievements at the 2024 Ministerial Press Briefing in Lagos.

Alake said, during the briefing which was to commemorate the first year of Gov. Sanwo-Olu’s second term in office, that it had laid 2700 kilometres of fibre duct across the state.

“While Phase II of the project comprises an additional 3,300km of unified fibre ducts being laid across the state.

“We will utilise the duct to bring down the cost of internet connectivity in the state,” the commissioner said.

These initiatives aim to address the growing demand for faster and more reliable internet access across the state.

This crucial infrastructure will provide a dedicated pathway for internet service providers (ISPs) to lay their fibre optic cables. This, in turn, will enable ISPs to deliver high-speed internet services to a wider range of users throughout Lagos.

Residents and businesses in Lagos can expect significant improvements in internet connectivity as the Lagos State government unveils this details of its ongoing projects.

Alake added that the administration had deployed 450 intelligent cameras and number plate recognition cameras in the state.

“All these technologies are to assist traffic management in Lagos, remove the guesswork and ensure better management of the city,’’ he said.

The commissioner said that the government’s most recent achievement was the launch of a cybersecurity project aimed at enhancing digital safety and protecting the state’s infrastructure from cyber threats.

He said the cybersecurity project was part of a broader strategy to improve overall security and governance within the state.

Alake said that the project in partnership with leading cybersecurity firms and an international organisation would provide the state with access to technologies and expertise.

According to him, providing the state with technologies and expertise will enhance its capacity to defend its technologies against sophisticated cyber threats.

Alake also said that to boost the state’s infrastructure and data capacity, the government was building a tier 3 data centre in partnership with the private sector to facilitate the delivery of government services to residents.

He said that this technology would not only improve government efficiency and reliability of services but also foster economic and technological advancement.

He added that the technology would attract investment and position Lagos as the technological hub of West Africa.

“We have embarked on sensitisation and awareness workshops for all heads of accounts, procurement, planning, legal officers, and medical directors among others in 43 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) across the state.

“We have also established 70 data protection officers in various MDAs,” Alake said.

He emphasised the objectives of the data protection compliance project, saying it was to safeguard the rights of persons to data privacy.

The commissioner said that the data compliance project would foster safe conduct of transactions involving the exchange of personal data and prevent manipulation of personal data.

He stressed that it would ensure that Nigerian businesses remained competitive in international trade with best practices.