‘Abia Duct Infrastructure Project Will Bridge Digital Divide’

Chief Executive Officer of Open Access Data Centres (OADC), Ayotunde Coker, has highlighted the significance of the launched Abia State Duct Infrastructure Project upon completion.

Coker stated this at the groundbreaking ceremony of the project in the city, saying the significance includes bridging the digital divide and advancing national broadband goals.

He said OADCs, a partnership between the West Indian Ocean Cable Company (WIOCC) and the state government, represents a shared vision to accelerate digital access and inclusion.

”This infrastructure will enable faster, more reliable connectivity that empowers communities, fuels entrepreneurship and strengthens economic growth,” he said.

”It aligns with WIOCC’s mission to build open-access, carrier-neutral digital infrastructure that supports the delivery of next-generation connectivity and cloud services.”

Coker added that it reinforces the company’s ongoing efforts to enable a digitally connected Africa by collaborating with governments and industry stakeholders.

‎‎Speaking, the state governor, Alex Otti, stated that the project’s objective is to establish an interconnected underground system to support the deployment of reliable broadband technology.

‎Otti, who performed the groundbreaking, noted that the project would play a critical role in attracting businesses, stimulating job creation and improving the ease of doing business in the state.

‎According to him, “The project would play a critical role in attracting businesses, stimulating job creation and improving the ease of doing business in the state.

‎He said the project would have multiplier benefits in the area of job creation, enterprise partnerships, and the multiplication of entrepreneurial opportunities.

‎Speaking further, he noted that: “The project, on completion, would create not less than two hundred thousand direct and indirect jobs.

‎”While the project will begin with the urban centres, my assurance is that no community will be left behind,” the governor maintained.

Contributing, the General Overseer of Omega Power Ministry (OPM) and traditional ruler of Ikwuorie Autonomous Community, Eze Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere, expressed delight with the project’s job-creating potential.

The clergyman and monarch commended the governor for the numerous achievements and projects he has recorded in less than 30 months and urged him to remain focused on developmental strides.

‎Earlier in an address, the state commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovations, David Kalu, said the event signified the governor’s drive to take the state higher on development.