Yesterday, in conjunction with Huawei Technology of China, Cross River State government signed a contract that would make Calabar the first smart city in Nigeria. The state Governor, Ben Ayade, said that the signing of the contract would result in complete digitization of Calabar and the whole state. The governor, congratulating the Chinese company for forging ahead with business in the state, also expressed his appreciation for the company’s willingness to be a sponsor for parts of the 2016 Carnival Calabar.
Ayade revealed that the smart city project would bring cheap Wi-Fi services to everyone in the state.
He said, “this will be the first time that data would be provided from the cloud. With this digital cloud, it will offer opportunity to get information with ease and comfort, including boosting research and academic works. The project which is in partnership with the Huawei of China, the equipment manufacturer, with Sino Infrastructure Development Company Limited as the technical partner in Nigeria for the project.
He continued, saying, “this partnership will provide cheap access to connectivity. Cross Riverians will know that Huawei is bringing the best technology to us. They are a known name in the world and a pace setter in the industry. Cross River deserves only the best which they have to offer. The whole state is going digital as the Cross River superhighway will have superconductivity where all the best internet and technology services will be offered to users of the super highway.”