The people of Surulere, a community in Surulere, Lagos got a big surprise on Sunday night with the launch of a free wifi service by BabaJide Sanwo-Olu, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State. The initiative was launched two days after he spoke about how “technology is changing the way people live, work and socialize” at a technology event at the Vibranium valley in Lagos.
According to tweets from his campaign organisation, the free wifi provided at Leisure mall in Surulere is the first of other locations they will be activating in the coming weeks.
Lagos which boasts of a vibrant technology ecosystem requires quality internet service to truly tap into the abundant human resource available. Internet access is a big world leveler and any government that is serious enough about changing the socio-economic status of its citizens will need to borrow from the BabaJide Sanwo-Olu playback and look to provide this sort of service.
Early indications show that understanding technology will play an important role in the coming elections in Lagos, and we will be following how candidates respond to questions around technology and access.
