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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.
A recently released Henley Passport Index 2026, showed that Nigerian citizens can travel to at least 20 destinations outside the African continent where entry is allowed either visa-free, with a visa on arrival (VOA) at no extra cost, or via an e-visa.
This expanded access opens doors for Nigerian travellers to experience countries in the Caribbean, Asia, and beyond with greater ease.
Below is a comprehensive guide to countries outside Africa which Nigerian passport holders can visit without a traditional visa.
Visa-Free Countries outside Africa for Nigerian Passport Holders:
Barbados
Cambodia – Visa on arrival
Comoros Islands – Visa on arrival
Cook Islands
Dominica
Fiji
Haiti
Iran – Visa on arrival
Kiribati
Lebanon
Maldives – Visa on arrival
Micronesia
Montserrat
Niue – Visa on arrival
Palau Islands – Visa on arrival
Samoa – Visa on arrival
St. Kitts and Nevis
Timor-Leste – Visa on arrival
Tuvalu
Vanuatuul
Nigeria and Israel yesterday reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation in research, technology and innovation as both countries pledged to expand partnerships that will drive entrepreneurship, commercialise research and accelerate economic development.
The commitment was made at the closing ceremony and innovation showcase of the I-FAIR Cohort of the Israel-Nigeria Innovation Fellowship for Aspiring Inventors and Researchers (I-FAIR) in Abuja, where the Ambassador of Israel to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, announced that funding had been secured for the fifth edition of the programme, scheduled to begin in October 2026.
Freeman described I-FAIR as a practical demonstration of the growing partnership between both countries, saying it had enabled Nigerian innovators to develop local solutions to national challenges through Israeli mentorship and expertise.
He said, “This programme has never been about bringing Israeli solutions to Nigeria. It’s been about helping brilliant Nigerian innovators develop Nigerian solutions to Nigerian challenges supported by Israeli experience, mentorship and innovation.”
The envoy noted that the initiative had brought together government, academia, investors, engineers and entrepreneurs to transform innovative ideas into businesses capable of creating jobs and stimulating economic growth.
Announcing the continuation of the programme, he said, “I am so proud to stand here today and announce that we have secured with our partners funding for I-FAIR 5 and I-FAIR 5 will be launching in October 2026.”
Freeman said the relationship between Nigeria and Israel had grown significantly over the past four and a half years through cooperation in innovation, agriculture, healthcare, education, water management and technology.
He expressed confidence that stronger collaboration between both countries would unlock greater opportunities for startups, research institutions and businesses.
According to him, “Israel brings experience and innovation, technology, agriculture, healthcare, cyber security, security and water management. Nigeria brings extraordinary talent, creativity, entrepreneurship and one of the most dynamic young populations anywhere in the world.”
He added, “I have no doubt that the best chapters of the relationship between Israel and Nigeria are still ahead of us.”
The Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Architect Sonny Echono, also reaffirmed TETFund’s commitment to strengthening research and innovation through strategic partnerships with Israel and other stakeholders.
He said the I-FAIR programme aligned with Nigeria’s priorities in food security, agriculture, medicine, technology, clean energy and the circular economy, adding that TETFund would continue supporting initiatives that promote research commercialisation.
Echono stressed that collaboration between government, academia and industry remained critical to translating research findings into products and services.
He said, “It is this critical linkage, especially between science, engineering, technology and innovation, and the productive sector that is critical for translating R&D results and inventions into finished products for socio-economic benefits of our people.”
He disclosed that TETFund was working with partners to establish innovation facilities in about 60 tertiary institutions and had created a student innovation fund that would provide up to ₦50 million to students with commercially viable ideas.
The TETFund boss also announced plans for a National Research Fair later this year, where innovators would showcase products before policymakers, financial institutions and investors to attract funding and commercial partnerships.
Paying tribute to the outgoing Israeli ambassador, Echono described Freeman as a strong bridge between Nigeria and Israel.
He said, “Nigeria is grateful for your service. You have been a strong bridge between our two countries.”
Earlier, Head of Programmes at Innov8 Hub, Tolulope Aina, said sustainable economic development depended on building an innovation ecosystem that transforms ideas into successful businesses.
She noted that Innov8 Hub had supported more than 3,000 innovators, researchers and entrepreneurs, helping them convert research into products, startups and investment-ready ventures.
Aina said, “Nigeria does not suffer from a shortage of brilliant minds, what we need are stronger pathways that help those ideas become products, businesses, and opportunities that improve life.”
She thanked the Embassy of Israel and TETFund for their continued support in strengthening Nigeria’s innovation ecosystem.
According to her, “Building an innovation-driven economy requires collaboration, long-term commitment and shared purpose.”
Chief Judges drawn from countries across the African continent have resolved to collaborate and support measures aimed at ensuring the success of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) through an efficient, reliable and predictable dispute resolution system.
They agreed to explore ways to harmonize disputes resolution mechanisms in the continent with a view to making it easier and faster to resolve commercial disputes.
The resolutions formed part of the decisions taken at the third Africa Chief Justices’ Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Summit held in Nairobi, Kenya between June 18 and 19.
According to a statement by the Special Assistant on Media to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Mr. Tobi Soniyi, the African judicial leaders were of the view that commercial confidence depends largely on legal certainty.
They emphasised how structured Alternative Disputes Resolution could enhance commercial justice, protect the business environment and support the AfCFTA.
In her contribution, the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun urged called on African judiciaries to proactively prepare for emerging challenges to disputes resolution in the continent.
Justice Kekere-Ekun, who served as Co-Chair of the session on “Financial sector disputes, tax certainty and ADR: Building commercial confidence in Africa, noted that AfCFTA represents one of the most ambitious economic integration projects in modern history.
The CJN, who stressed the importance of a proactive Judiciary to the success of AfCFTA, warned that its success would depend, not only on trade protocols, tariff reductions and economic policies, but also on the strength and reliability of the institutions that support commerce.
Justice Kekere-Ekun urged her colleagues to examine how judiciaries in the continent, central banks, tax administrations and ADR institutions could work together to reduce uncertainty, prevent disputes, strengthen investor confidence and support the realization of AfCFTA’s objectives.
She envisaged the growth of intra-African trade to inevitably generate cross-border tax disputes; foreign exchange disputes; banking and payment system disputes; digital commerce disputes; enforcement of arbitral awards; recognition of foreign judgments; and disputes arising from regional supply chains.
The CJN, who said “African Judiciaries must proactively prepare for these emerging realities,” challenged African judicial leaders on the importance of disputes prevention mechanism.
She stated that modern commercial justice must move beyond the traditional focus on disputes resolution after conflicts arise.
“The most successful commercial systems are not those that generate the highest volumes of litigation but those that reduce the need for litigation,” she added.
Justice Kekere-Ekun, who stressed the importance of ADR, cautioned against seeing ADR as merely an alternative procedure.
She said ADR should rather be considered as a strategic tool for reducing transaction costs, preserving commercial relationships, enhancing investor confidence, reducing court congestion, improving ease of doing business and strengthening commercial certainty.
Sharing the Nigerian experiences, Justice Kekere-Ekun cited the recent decision by the Nigerian Supreme Court in the case of EMTS v. AFDIN Ventures Ltd. & Ors. (2026), which reaffirmed important principles of commercial certainty, including respect for arbitration agreements; recognition that consent may be inferred from conduct; judicial restraint from re-litigating arbitral disputes on the merits; and the importance of finality in arbitral awards.
According to her, the decision reinforced Nigeria’s position as an arbitration-supportive jurisdiction.
She identified timely resolution of tax disputes as an important factor in ensuring certainty and recommended Nigerian tax disputes resolution mechanism which she said “offers useful example of institutional reforms that support commercial certainty.”
Justice Kekere-Ekun recommended the Nigeria’s Tax Appeal Tribunal model, which she described as one of Nigeria’s most significant innovations.
According to Mr. Soniyi, Justice Kekere-Ekun’s message to his brother justices is clear: building an African commercial environment in which investors, businesses, regulators and citizens can transact across borders with confidence, secure in the knowledge that their rights will be protected and their obligations fairly enforced.
The summit advanced the goals of the African Chief Justices Alternative Dispute Resolution Forum (ACJADRF) to harmonize jurisprudence and establish common enforcement standards across the continent.
The CJN was, on the last day of the summit, nominated by the Chief Justice of Kenya as the Vice Chairperson of the Africa Chief Justice ADR Forum with effect from August 1, 2026. The nomination was ratified by the forum.
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