Members of the Technical Working Group of the Nigerian Research and Education Network (NgREN) met for the first time in Abuja this past January. In an address to the group, Julius Okojie, the chairman of NgREN and the executive secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), announced that 27 public universities have been connected to the network, with nine more slated to join in early 2015. He noted that the system currently supports videoconferencing, telephony, and an e-library. Currently, the Technical Working Group is focused on increasing content available through NgREN.

In the current phase, NgREN is still relatively expensive, likely placing it out of reach of many private institutions. However, Mr. Okojieexpects that the upcoming second phase of the project will see prices drop, allowing many more schools to connect to the network.

Because it streamlines collaboration and teaching, access to a high-tech, international network is critical to higher education and research in the modern world. For this reason, NgREN was established through a partnership between the NUC and the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities.

NgREN, which was officially commissioned

in 2012 with funding from the World Bank, is

the first network of its kind in western and

central Africa.

As it continues to grow, NgREN will become

a key part of Nigeria's educational

infrastructure. It will connect researchers

and teachers throughout Africa and ensure

fast, stable access to the rest of the world.