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Broadband is Key to “Education to all’- UN Broadband Commission
Mobile phones, tablets and e-readers with broadband connectivity could prove the long-sought panacea in the global effort to bring quality, ubiquitous multidisciplinary educational opportunities to people everywhere, especially the world’s poorest or most isolated communities, according to the UN Broadband Commission for Digital Development, which held its 11th meeting at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France, yesterday.
A report by the Commission’s Working Group on Education, led by UNESCO, indicated that, worldwide, over 60 million primary-school age children do not currently attend school; almost half that number never will.
The situation worsens as children get older, with over 70 million not enrolled in secondary school.
And while classroom computers can help, lack of resources remains critical. If an average of eight children share each classroom computer in OECD nations, in Africa teachers can struggle to share each computer among 150 or more pupils.
But with increasingly sophisticated mobile devices now packing more computing power than the famed ‘supercomputers’ of the late 1990s, the Commission believes broadband-connected personal wireless devices could be the solution.
ITU figures show that mobile broadband is the fastest growing technology in human history.
The number of mobile phone subscriptions now exceeds the world’s total population of around seven billion, and active mobile broadband subscriptions exceed 2.1 billion – three times higher than the 700 million wireline broadband connections worldwide.
Even more encouragingly, most of this progress has taken place in the developing world, which has accounted for 90% of global net additions for mobile cellular and 82% of global net additions of new Internet users since early 2010.
“Education is one of the most powerful uses to which broadband connectivity can be put,” said Houlin Zhao, ITU secretary-general.
“For the first time in history, mobile broadband gives us the chance to truly bring education to all, regardless of a person’s geographical location, linguistic and cultural frameworks, or ready access to infrastructure like schools and transport. Education will drive entrepreneurship, especially among the young – which is why we must strive harder to get affordable broadband networks in place which can deliver educational opportunities to children and adults,” he said.
Established in 2010, the Broadband Commission is a top-level advocacy body which focuses on strategies to make broadband more available and affordable worldwide. It is chaired by President Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Mexico’s Carlos Slim Helú, with ITU Secretary-General and UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova as co-Vice Chairs. As the deadline for the Millennium Development Goals fast approaches, Commissioners are now focusing on ensuring broadband is recognized as a fundamental pillar of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which will be agreed at the forthcoming Sustainable Development Summit in New York in September.
Today’s meeting of the Commission was held in conjunction with UNESCO’s flagship ICT education-focused event, Mobile Learning Week (MLW), co-organized this year with sister agency UN Women.
Broadband Commissioners participating in the MLW High-level Policy Forum of “Leveraging technology to empower women and girls” took advantage of the opportunity to interact with Ministers of Education and senior representatives of international organizations on the uses of mobile broadband for education.
“Every day, everywhere, women and men are inventing new ways to use broadband, mobile telephones and computers to be empowered, more autonomous and free,” said UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova.
“We need to tap this inventiveness to improve education, especially for girls and women. But we have a long way to go. Two thirds of illiterate adults are women, and two thirds of the world’s out-of-school primary-age children are girls. This is a huge injustice, and a gap that we must fill. The continued expansion of broadband combined with technology can help us make giant strides towards this.”
Speaking at the opening of the Commission session earlier today, President Paul Kagame stressed that broadband should be regarded as a basic utility, like water and electricity. “In Rwanda, investing in ICTs has been indispensable to the attainment of our development goals. Broadband enables business and social entrepreneurs to find ways to offer world class education at low cost, to populations that have never had access.
These centres of knowledge already exist, but in order for developing countries and isolated communities, to access and use them productively, they will need faster, more reliable, and more affordable Internet. The same principle extends to government more widely, particularly in delivering essential services. Broadband technology can enhance public administration efficiency and accountability to citizens, no matter where they live.”
President Kagame was joined by co-Chair, Carlos Slim Helú, who asked Commissioners to consider whether the power of ICTs was being sufficiently exploited in today’s school environments. “Broadband and ICTs are now available in many schools around the world – but are we seeing a concrete impact in the quality of education? We need to be sure that the potential of broadband for education is fully leveraged so that successful initiatives, such as new online course platforms, and many valuable education and training contents, become quickly available to people worldwide. Technology should be used for inclusion, and we should make vigorous efforts to ensure this.”
The Broadband Commission first tackled the key issue of education in 2013 through a special Working Group on Education, led by UNESCO. At the morning session of the Commission earlier today, important reports emerging from ITU’s m-Powering Development and Smart Sustainable Development Model Initiatives were also presented to the group.
The m-Powering Development Initiative report, developed by a multistakeholder Advisory Board led by ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT), finds that technological innovations and initiatives that use mobile phones can potentially bring exponential benefits to entire communities and make a valuable contribution to the global development agenda.
The report by the Smart Sustainable Development Model Initiative, also led by BDT, focuses on the link between ICT for Development (ICT4D) with ICT for Disaster Management (ICT4DM) and their role in sustainable development processes.
The key findings of the Broadband Commission Working Group on Education can be downloaded here. An Executive Summary of the report can be found here, and the full report is available here.
To learn more about the current state of broadband connectivity worldwide, read the 2014 edition of ITU’s State of Broadband Report: Broadband for All, featuring country-by-country rankings based on broadband access and affordability for over 160 economies.
The Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance institutional synergy and accountability in public finance management.
The partnership is also to deepen transparency and strengthen the fight against corruption in Nigeria.
The Executive Chairman of the FRC, Mr. Victor Muruako, and the Executive Chairman of the ICPC, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, expressed profound satisfaction over the partnership, describing the signing as timely and symbolic, coming on a day dedicated globally to integrity, transparency, and the fight against corruption.
Speaking at the ceremony, both chairmen reaffirmed their agency’s shared commitment to prudent management of Nigeria’s resources, fiscal discipline, and the coordinated strategies to confront corruption and financial mismanagement.
Under the MoU, both agencies will collaborate extensively in capacity building, joint investigations, information sharing, asset recovery, and enforcement operations.
The ICPC, through its Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), will provide specialised training to FRC staff in forensic investigations, financial crime detection, digital evidence recovery, and prosecution strategies. In turn, both agencies will exchange resource persons for workshops and public enlightenment programmes.
The agreement further empowers both institutions to conduct joint investigations and coordinated operations where violations cut across the mandates of both the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007 and the ICPC Act, 2000. It also establishes a framework for mutual assistance in tracing, freezing, confiscating, and recovering stolen public funds.
On information sharing, the MoU guarantees the confidential exchange of intelligence, financial records, and technical data, while upholding strict ethical standards and full compliance with all applicable laws.
According to the parties, the collaboration will significantly enhance Nigeria’s anti-corruption architecture by eliminating institutional silos and strengthening enforcement outcomes.
The Memorandum of Understanding, which can be terminated with a 30-day notice by either party, marks a renewed and expanded phase of cooperation between the two key integrity institutions.
The signing ceremony concluded with both chairmen reaffirming their resolve to work tirelessly to promote accountability, transparency, and sustainable national development in line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and existing anti-corruption laws.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the FRC, Victor Muruako, has commended the ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu, and his team for sustaining the Commission’s legacy as one of Nigeria’s frontline anti-corruption institutions. Muruako particularly highlighted the signing of the MoU between the two agencies, describing it as a major step toward strengthening inter-agency collaboration in tackling corruption at all levels of government.
According to him, both agencies have, in recent months, intensified joint efforts to enhance accountability and prevent corruption at the local government level. These efforts, he noted, focus on improved budget preparation, prudent management of public funds, and the modernisation of tax, financial and asset administration systems.
He emphasised that where acts of corruption are detected, the law must take its full course to deter future offenders.
As AI fever has propelled global stocks to record highs, the data centres needed to power the technology are increasingly being financed with debt, adding to concerns about the risks.
A UBS report last month said AI data centre and project financing deals surged to $125 billion so far this year, from $15 billion in the same period in 2024, with more supply from the sector expected to be pivotal for credit markets in 2026.
“Public and private credit seems to have become a major source of funding for AI investments, and its rapid growth raised some concerns,” said Anton Dombrovskiy, fixed income portfolio specialist at T. Rowe Price.
“Although up until now an increase in supply has been met with relatively healthy demand, this is the area to watch especially taking into account large financing needs estimates,” Dombrovskiy added.
The Bank of England warned last week that the growing role of debt in the AI infrastructure boom could heighten potential financial stability risks if valuations correct.
Christopher Kramer, portfolio manager and senior trader on Investment Grade Credit team at Neuberger told Reuters that the market has seen a structural shift as the largest technology companies finance their AI infrastructure ambitions.
“They really haven’t been focal points in our market from a debt issuance standpoint, and that’s obviously shifting really dramatically … anytime you have that, it creates a lot of opportunity,” he said on November 28.
“We’re excited just from the standpoint that the market’s changing. You’re going to have a different dynamic, it creates an opportunity to take risks and create value for our investors,” Kramer added.
Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, has said that Federal Government is intensifying its use of digital-economy initiatives to curb corruption among young Nigerians.
Speaking at the commemoration of the 2025 International Anti-Corruption Day held on Tuesday in Abuja, the AGF said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has deliberately positioned technology, innovation training, and digital-skills development at the heart of its anti-corruption strategy for young people.
The event, organized by Technical Unit on Governance and Anti-Corruption Reforms (TUGAR) domiciled at the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) had the theme: “Uniting with Youth Against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow’s Integrity”.
Fagbemi, who delivered the keynote address, said the government believes that empowered, skilled and economically engaged youths are less vulnerable to corrupt influences.
According to him, programmes such as the 3 Million Technical Talents Programme (3MTT) and the recently launched Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA) are already equipping millions of young Nigerians with ICT and digital-innovation skills, reducing their dependence on patronage systems that fuel corrupt practices.
“A hopeful youth is harder to corrupt; an engaged youth is harder to mislead; and an empowered youth is a powerful force for national transformation,” Fagbemi said.
He explained that by investing in digital literacy, tech entrepreneurship and innovation-driven training, the Tinubu administration aims to create a generation of young Nigerians who are globally competitive and resistant to corruption.
Beyond digital skills, the AGF pointed at several government efforts to expand educational access through the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), and support youth entrepreneurship via the Nigeria Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) and the iDICE programme, providing funding, training and mentorship for young innovators in tech, entertainment, agriculture and design.
Fagbemi added that the inclusion of young people in governance, through appointments and expanded civic-engagement platforms, was another strategic tool to strengthen integrity and transparency in public life.
He urged stakeholders to deepen efforts to integrate anti-corruption values into school curricula, establish integrity clubs, mentor young leaders, and leverage ICT tools to promote transparency, whistleblowing and public accountability.
Earlier, the Head of TUGAR, Mrs Jane Onwumere said the gathering was especially meaningful because it reflected a shared truth: that tomorrow’s integrity rests significantly in the hands of the youth.
“The theme therefore, is not just a slogan but a call to action and a reminder that young people are not only beneficiaries of good governance, they are co-architects of it.
“Corruption has affected lives and the economy negatively in many ways. One of such is the “japa wave” which has seen young Nigerians leave the country in droves in search of greener pastures. This syndrome has drained the country of resources and human capital. It has in many situations split the family unit, a critical foundation for anti-corruption efforts”, Onwumere, added.
In his speech, the Executive Secretary, NEITI, Hon. Musa Sarkin Adar expressed the agency’s commitment to empowering young Nigerians not only as advocates for accountability but also as active partners in shaping the future of integrity in the extractive industries and beyond.
“At NEITI, we recognize that corruption undermines opportunities for growth, distorts resource governance, and deepens inequality. We also know that a united, informed, and courageous generation can dismantle these barriers.
“This is why NEITI will continue to expand civic education, strengthen our reporting mechanisms, support youth-led innovation, and create more platforms for constructive engagement with young professionals, students, and entrepreneurs”, he added.
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