Category: News | Read time: 3 min read | Tags: Internet, Lagos, Federal Government, Digital Nigeria, WiFi
The Federal Government has officially begun the rollout of free public WiFi across 50 locations in Lagos State, marking a significant milestone in its National Broadband Plan 2020–2025. The Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, presided over the launch ceremony at Alausa Park on Monday.
The initiative, branded ‘ConnectNigeria’, is being implemented in partnership with Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and three local internet service providers. The government says each hotspot will offer minimum speeds of 10Mbps for up to 200 simultaneous users.
Full list of covered areas (first phase)
The 50 locations span markets, bus terminals, parks, and university campuses. Notable inclusions include Balogun Market, Mile 12 Market, Oshodi Bus Terminal, Lekki Phase 1 roundabout, University of Lagos main gate, Lagos Island General Hospital, Ikeja Under Bridge, and National Theatre surroundings. The government says the remaining locations will be activated in batches over 90 days.
How to connect
Users within range of a ConnectNigeria hotspot will see the network listed as ‘ConnectNG_Free’ on their devices. Connection requires a one-time registration using a valid Nigerian phone number for SIM verification. Sessions last up to two hours per device, after which users may reconnect.
Reactions from Lagosians
Reactions on social media were largely positive, with many Nigerians expressing excitement about the potential impact on students, small business owners, and market traders who rely on data for business communication.
“This is one thing the government has done right. I sell online and my biggest cost is data. If this WiFi works well at Balogun, it changes things for me,” wrote one Twitter user with over 4,000 likes on the comment.
Critics, however, urged caution — pointing to similar government-backed connectivity projects in the past that launched with fanfare but suffered from poor maintenance and eventual abandonment. “Let’s see if it still works in six months,” one commenter noted.
Phase 2 planned for other states
Dr. Tijani confirmed that Phase 2 of the programme will extend to Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt, and Enugu, with a target of 200 hotspots nationwide by the end of the year. The programme is being partially funded through the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF).
Chukwu Vincent Ogbonnia is the founder and lead editor of Viralarena, a Nigerian digital media platform covering breaking news, music, and sport. Based in Abuja, Vincent is a content creator passionate about telling Nigerian stories with speed, accuracy, and cultural authenticity.
Chukwu Vincent Ogbonnia is the founder and lead editor of Viralarena, a Nigerian digital media platform covering breaking news, music, and sport. Based in Abuja, Vincent is a content creator passionate about telling Nigerian stories with speed, accuracy, and cultural authenticity.
