TiGo partners Ericsson to connect communities to internet

By: Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh
Ericsson, the world's leading provider of communications technology and services, has announced that it is supporting the over 30,000 residents of the newly-developed Millennium Village in Ghana with connectivity.

The company, with support from Millicom Group, operators of  TiGo Ghana, would deploy a voice and data network along with a hybrid  power solution, providing  mobile network  coverage and connectivity for the unconnected rural communities in the Northern part of the country.

The Vice President & Head of Operations Sub-Saharan Africa and Country Manager for Ericcsson Ghana, Alan Triggs, told journalists in Accra that the 16 schools and five clinics under the Millennium Village project, comprising 34 individual villages in the West Mamprusi and Builsa Districts of northern Ghana, are to be connected with the internet.

He was happy to say that 'we are committed to supporting the achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Africa, and expect the connectivity in new Millennium Village to act as a catalyst for economic growth, while improving the quality of life of residents.'

He added that the Millennium Villages project, a partnership between the Earth Institute, Millennium Promise and others, was working with over 500,000 people in 10 African countries to achieve the MDGs by 2015, while the newly commissioned Millennium Village project in Ghana was funded by the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID).

He revealed that today, over 500,000 people in the 10 countries across sub-Saharan Africa have benefited from mobile connectivity as a result of the Millennium Village Project.

The Director of the MDG Center for West Africa, Mr. Amadou Niang, said 'The Millennium Villages Project is honoured to partner with Ericsson and TiGo in the North part of Ghana.

'Mobile services along with internet connectivity will boost all levels of development in this otherwise neglected area. I believe we will see quick advances in health, education, and agriculture infrastructure and business development through this partnership. It will help to accelerate the elimination of poverty, and provide vital services for the communities throughout the region.'

The Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of TiGo Ghana, Obafemi Banigbe, noted that 'Globally, the Millicom's mission is to provide freedom to access today's world for people in emerging markets; for people who want to stay in touch, belong to communities and to be informed, as well as entertain, in so doing, enabling them to express their emotions and to enhance their lives. It is our overriding vision to create a world where mobile services are affordable accessible and available to everywhere and to all.'

Research from a recent World Bank report shows that though Ghana has succeeded in reducing the national rate of poverty, and is well on course to achieving the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on halving poverty by 2015, the northern part of the country was lagging behind.