I recently noticed an interesting phenomenon. The challenges faced by Nigerian educational institutions in gaining internet access reflect a fundamental conflict between business logic and social responsibility.

On the surface, it appears that telecom companies are unwilling to provide free internet to schools, but the deeper reasons are more complex. The logic of major operators like MTN and Airtel is straightforward: profit comes first. They prioritize infrastructure deployment in densely populated urban areas, leaving rural schools and educational institutions naturally marginalized. As a result, internet access becomes another manifestation of urban-rural divide.

President Tinubu clearly recognizes the seriousness of this issue. Recently, during a meeting with the Communications Commission, he explicitly stated that internet connectivity should be a national obligation and a right of every citizen. His argument is quite interesting—view investment in schools not as a revenue loss, but as delayed profit. When young people gain digital learning opportunities, their earning potential increases, benefiting the entire economy.

But there’s a practical challenge. The situation for telecom companies is indeed difficult. In 2024, they suffered significant losses due to inflation, currency devaluation, and macroeconomic difficulties. Although last year they recovered some revenue through price hikes, market headwinds such as right-of-way issues, fiber cuts, and unstable power supply for base stations make maintaining positive returns a continuous challenge.

Deploying internet in schools involves substantial investments in bandwidth costs, subsidized data plans, and free Wi-Fi infrastructure. More critically, maintenance costs and infrastructure security are concerns—when they are already struggling to sustain daily revenue, adding the burden of supporting schools is quite difficult.

However, I believe this should not be a reason for inaction. South Africa’s approach is worth referencing. Vumatel and Net Nine Nine install 1Gbps free fiber in schools, and Starlink is deploying satellite internet to over 5,000 rural schools. These cases demonstrate that, with government support and public-private partnerships, providing internet access to educational institutions is entirely feasible.

The federal government is also taking action. A $500 million initiative supported by the World Bank aims to connect over 55,000 public schools and healthcare facilities with broadband. The key is that the government must truly take responsibility for protection and maintenance, rather than shifting all burdens onto telecom companies.

My view is that providing internet access to educational institutions requires a tripartite effort involving the government, telecom companies, and social organizations. Relying solely on corporate social responsibility slogans is not enough. The government should formulate incentive policies, telecom companies need to participate but not bear all costs, and social organizations should oversee and supplement efforts. Only then can we truly bridge the digital divide in education.