$100 million will support deployment of more resilient infrastructure
TeleGeography reports on the World Bank’s decision to provide funding to Niger, one of Africa’s poorest countries, for digital development in the most vulnerable regions of the country. Investment will include the Smart Villages project, designed to improve access to mobile telephony and broadband in rural areas, alongside financial services. The website quotes a World Bank Development specialist saying that: ‘The Covid pandemic has revealed the urgency of accelerating the digital transformation to enable countries like Niger to keep the private sector active and save lives and jobs’. The funding will be in the form of a $50 million grant and $50 million loan. The TeleGeography database lists current fixed broadband penetration in Niger at 0.7%.
World Bank investment will include the Smart Villages project, designed to improve access to mobile telephony and broadband in rural areas, alongside financial services
- Region:
- Africa & Middle East
- Series:
- Regulatory Watch
