PH Mundial – Port Harcourt Online Newspaper News across the Niger Delta
The free internet centre, otherwise referred to as “MAJI Community Network Centre,” situated at the love garden of the institution consists of solar panels, inverters, solar charge controller, batteries, and free WiFi, etc.
Executive Director of Maji, Emmanuel Onyekachi Okoro, said the project was executed by the organization, with support from Association for Progressive Communication, World Association for Christian Communication and Internet Society, and in collaboration with the Student Union Government (SUG) of the polytechnic.
Okoro said the project commissioned and handed over was targeted at providing free low cost internet access for rural and urban poor communities, but it decided to avail students of Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa polytechnic with the opportunity first.
“As an organization over the years we have seen the challenges of digital access. There has been experencial wise in digital cost, this for us is a huge gap.
“Currently we only have 45% digital access across Nigeria. This is a challenge for even the digital expansion plan in Nigeria which moves to provide digital access for 90% of Nigerians before the year 2030.
“For us we feel this is an initiative in the right direction. Our idea is to provide free low cost internet access for rural communities and urban poor communities so young people can avail themselves of the opportunities the digital platforms provide, improve themselves by providing economic opportunities for themselves Nigerian will be a better place.
“This is our idea, our objective and it is what we hope to achieve and expand as we progress with these ideas under our community centered connectivity initiatives.
We want to see how the students use the connectivity efficiently, we want to see improvement in digital use, digital skills.”
Continuing, Okoro said, “As an organization, we will be carrying out certain assessment, training’s and capacity building for young ones on digital marketing, other digital trainings. The idea is to identify which digital skills is of interest to students because you can not teach a child what he or she do not want to use. It will be training in futility from the assessment, so, we will start using it to build their skills for them to improve themselves for a better Nigeria and society.”
Rector Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic, Dr. Suanu Gwara, represented by the Dean of Student Affairs, Dr. Micheal Saro thanked MAJI, describing the project as a laudable one that will be useful and beneficial to the institution and her students.
“This project is a laudable one, there is no other way of appreciating than thanking MAJI for thinking about the student and the Polytechnic community in Bori, for the fact they brought it to us we truly appreciate.
“We will make maximum use of it on behalf of the management of the Polytechnic we are grateful.”
The Rector however, urged the students to make judicious use of the facility. “I urge the students to make good use of this project. It is for their benefits to reduce cost on their parents. They should not abuse the facility.”
President of the Student Union Government, SUG, at the institution, Comrade Kinsley Akor, on behalf of the students, expressed his appreciation to MAJI for the gesture.
Akor said, “For a long time we have been praying for this initiative to be unveiled, my administration have been working to ensure it becomes a reality.
“It will benefit us as students especially during examination period, especially, the computer department because they deal mostly with internet and technology. It will minimize the cost of Data. Student will use it effectively for research and assignment.”
