WORLDPULSE SISTERS PARTICIPATES AGAIN IN THE 1ST A4AI- NIGERIA COALITION MEETING

The world pulse sisters storms again the 1st Alliance for Affordable Internet for Nigerian Coalition meeting. Three of us, Nabiye, Olanike and Busayo attended the meeting at Protea Hotel in Lagos on the 15th of July, 2014. The A4AI brought together again prominent players from private sector, public sector, and civil society to provide a unified voice in addressing the shared goal of open, affordable access to the internet in the developing world.. The Alliance aims to increase the affordability of both mobile and fixed-line internet access. Since the 1st meeting in Abuja 15th of March, 2014, the A4AI Nigeria Forum, Nigerian stakeholders among which are the worldpulse sisters have formed a coalition and chosen working groups that will work on each of the issues identified during the first meeting. These issues are: 1) Pricing transparency (including safe guards on anti-competitive behaviour)
2) Open Access framework and Infrastructure sharing
3) Spectrum Policy: focus on the need for mores[spectum, fair allocstion and innovative uses, availability of free/unlicensed spectrum.
On the 1st day of the meeting, participant examine those priority issues I mentioned above. There were three expert discussants who examined these three issues on the basis of the issue, the goals and possible option. it was an interactive session between the discussants and other participants. We had the Working Group Session where the participants were divided into three groups each working on each of the three issues. Each working group presented their work plan to all participants after which the A4AI team outlined the some of the key findings from the day and action for the future. At the workshops the second day of the meeting, possible solutions and strategies were proffered on universal and affordable internet access, relevant content to all, freedom and openness, impact and empowerment and internet rights and freedom. One of such amazing conclusions on the web Nigerians want is that an average Nigerian should pay less than 2% of minimum wage. Another target we hope to achieve as Nigerians is that internet should be available to the rural parts of the country such that it would be accessible by even the poorest Nigerian. Also that internet should be brought to the doorstep of every woman in Nigeria so that female population can also benefit from internet access immensely. It was also part of the conclusion that women sharing our stories of how internet has benefited us will arouse the interest of more female in accessing internet. I shared at the meeting of how sharing my story of internet benefits have brought more women in my community to accessing internet.
The coalition meeting was very educative and informative and we hope that all the proffered solutions to make internet affordable and accessible will be a reality in Nigeria. If this is so it will go a long way to help our women and girls in Nigeria to continue to weave the web without tears