Bharti Airtel Africa, a leading telecommunications service provider with
operations in 17 countries across Africa, today announced that it has
launched Free Basics in Nigeria in partnership with Facebook.
Nigerians with an Airtel mobile connection will be able to access all
the services that are available through Free Basics without paying extra
for data charges or rental.
Free Basics provides basic mobile websites and services for free to
people around the world and demonstrating the value the internet can
provide.
Free Basics will launch in Nigeria with more than 85 free services
dedicated to health, education, jobs, and finance. To date, Facebook
estimates that its connectivity efforts, which include Free Basics, have
brought more than 25 million people online who wouldn’t be otherwise.
Airtel Africa will also be offering Facebook Flex in Nigeria, which
allows people to access a version of Facebook without data charges. This
initiative is part of Facebook’s commitment to bringing people online
and reducing affordability barriers.
Christian de Faria, MD and CEO of Airtel Africa said, “We’re pleased to
take this big step forward in our partnership with Facebook, bringing
more people online in Africa’s most populous country and helping to
further narrow the digital divide. This builds on our vision of using
our widespread 3G network to help improve lives and communities by
empowering them with access to digital content and services that are
tailored to their needs.”
Segun Ogunsanya, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Airtel
Nigeria commented: “Today marks a significant milestone in our nation’s
drive towards deepening digital connectivity and enhancing mobile
broadband access for millions of Nigerians in line with the key
objective of Nigeria’s National Broadband Plan (NBBP). It is our belief
that this partnership, the first of its kind in Nigeria, will create a
plethora of opportunities for millions of Nigerians, empowering them to
connect to their dreams, realize their full potentials, and succeed in
their professional and personal endeavours.”
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