Kaduna — The Federal Government said it will establish free Universal Internet Service and viewing centres across tertiary institutions in the country.

This, it said, is aimed at tackling the problem of low access to cutting-edge Information and Communications Technology (ICT) resources among Nigerian students.

Minister of State for Information and Communications, Ikra Bilbis, announced this at the weekend while commissioning a public viewing centre built by the ministry in collaboration with the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) in Kaduna.

He said the importance of information technology cannot be over-emphasised, adding that the idea aims at putting information at the fingertips of the Nigerian students and their school communities in order to equip them to meet global challenges.

"We are committed to ensuring that facilities of these nature are provided in all the tertiary institutions in the country. Already, we have finished constructing the first phase of the centres in all the six geo-political zones of the country and very soon, we are going to ensure that all schools, including some secondary schools across the six geo-political zones, benefited from the community-based communication programme," Bilbis said.

He however did not state the total sum set aside for the project.

But re-affirmed the commitment of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua towards ensuring that Nigerians leverage on current ICT resources for national development.