LASG Plans 3,300km Metro Fibre Coverage to Fully Digitise Govt Services

Emma Okonji and Agnes Ekebuike

Following the completion of the first phase of the 2,700km metro fibre project across the state, Lagos State government said it has commenced the second phase of the 3,300km metro fibre project, designed to fully digitise government services and to build Safe City that is fully digitalised.

Lagos State Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Mr. Olatunbosun Alake, who disclosed this during the 2024 ministerial press briefing in Lagos recently, said the second phase project would provide access to internet connectivity across the state, adding that the goal of Lagos government is to lay 6,000km metro fibre cables across Lagos, before 2027.

“Through the metro fibre project, we are in a mission to digitise government services for Lagos State residence, enhance efficiency and transparency, ensuring faster and more reliable service delivery, while reducing corruption. It will increase accessibility and convenience by making services available online 24/7and promoting cost savings by minimising the need for physical infrastructure and manual processes. Lagos government is currently building a digital stack that will enable it to increase of pace of government digitisation. It will enable citizen engagement, contribute to environmental sustainability and support economic growth and innovation,” Alake said.   

According to him, the metro fibre project is a joint Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project, where the private sector is providing the majority of the funding, while Lagos government is providing little part of the funding.

“The PPP model allows Lagos government to spend less of tax payer’s money and do more of the enabling environment that will help the private sector succeed in providing internet connectivity to the people of Lagos,” he said.

He explained that for over the past 36 months, Lagos government has deployed over 2,700 kilometers of fiber optic cable in the first phase of the project. This has gone a long way in improving connectivity, reducing the cost of connectivity, not just for individuals, but for also for telecoms companies.

“We have also deployed over 2,700 kilometers of fiber optic docks that will enable telecoms companies connect easily to the metro fibre cable for the provision of fast internet service,” Alake added.

Alake said it would help to bring down the cost of internet deployment, thereby passing on those savings to subscribers. So, ultimately, Lagos State is trying to bring down the cost of internet connectivity in the state, and as such, Lagos subscribers can see some of the accomplishments we’ve made to reduce cost of service delivery, Alake said.

Addressing the Lagos Safe City project, he said it would involve the deployment of intelligent video cameras in strategic locations in the state with the execution and completion spread over time in phases one, two and three respectively, adding that 450 surveillance cameras have been deployed at strategic locations across the city of Lagos.

He said the Lagos State Science Research and Innovation Council (LASRIC), would play a significant role in driving technology innovation that would boost the Lagos Safe City project. According to him, LASRIC has commenced funding of startups, research and development programmes across the state. 

“LASRIC has the mandate to promote innovation awareness, manage the Research and Innovation Fund, and foster local and international collaboration to address local and global challenges. LASRIC has funded over 60 tech startups, over 50 researches with over N800 million grants given out,” Alake said.