Top urban news, trends and reports curated for the world’s city leaders. Edited by David Hatch
Calabar becomes Nigeria’s first “digital city”
From kidnappings and bombings to dire poverty and bird flu, the headlines out of Nigeria are usually filled with hardship. But in the country‘s south, one metropolis bucks the trend. Ventures Africa reports that Calabar has blossomed into the nation’s first “digital city.”
New fiber-optic communications infrastructure is expected to help this state capital improve essential services, such as education, health care, and transportation, the article says. It also could enhance security and boost tourism.
The technology upgrade was achieved through a public-private partnership. The Ministry of Communications Technology championed the effort under a wider plan to promote a digital economy. MTN, a telecom carrier based in Lagos, oversaw the installation of fiber optic communications.
Calabar also shines in other areas. The coastal enclave has a reputation for being greener and cleaner than most African cities.
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