FG initiates discussion with Elon Musk's Starlink to provide more jobs in Nigeria
The Federal Government of Nigeria has initiated discussions with Elon Musk's Starlink about establishing programs to provide more jobs in the country. The discussion took place at the International Telecommunication Union-World Radio Communication (ITU-WRC) Conference in Dubai, with Ryan Goodnight, SpaceX Senior Director of Global Licensing and activation.
Nigeria's Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, was the one who narrated the outcome of the discussion via his X handle. He mentioned the possibility of Starlink creating a program to certify local installers and maintenance personnel in Nigeria. There is also a possibility of signing contracts with hardware startups in Nigeria to produce Starlink's repeater boxes locally.
While giving the feedback from the meeting, Tijani says, "Excellent conversation with Ryan Goodnight, Snr. Director, Global Licensing & Activation of @SpaceX on the sidelines of ITU-WRC 23, who shared that Nigeria is their biggest market in Africa. As demand for @Starlink continues to grow in Nigeria, we discussed connecting unserved and underserved Nigerians. I also mentioned the possibility of creating thousands of new jobs in Nigeria through initiatives like a certified installer/maintenance program for Starlink and working with hardware startups to produce repeater boxes locally."
He concluded by encouraging every tech company in Nigeria to invest in the tech ecosystem.
Elon Musk's Starlink was introduced to Nigeria in 2023 as an innovative internet service provider promising fast internet connectivity. The company prides itself on its ability to provide internet to areas in Nigeria where connectivity has been almost impossible.
In a bid to capture a large portion of the Nigerian Internet Service Providers, Starlink has reduced the prices of its hardware to N299,500 compared with the previous price which was slated for N378,000. The monthly subscription of N38,000 hasn't changed.
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