Stakeholders in the telecommunications sector have said that the decision of the Federal Government to provide internet access to 20 million citizens currently excluded from the digital economy would significantly boost digital inclusion.

This comes at the Telecoms Excellence Awards Night 2025 in Abuja where pan-African digital infrastructure company, Kasi Cloud, was honoured with the Digital Luminary Award (Gold Category) along with other top industry players.

Speaking at the Minister-Regulator-Telecoms Executives Forum in Abuja, organised by the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), its President, Tony Emoekpere, lauded the government’s renewed focus on expanding connectivity, noting that access to reliable internet services remains fundamental to national development.

He said the initiative would open new opportunities for education, commerce, innovation, and social participation, particularly for underserved communities.

Emoekpere assured that the association is ready to work closely with policymakers and industry leaders to ensure the programme is effectively implemented, stressing the need for sustained investments in infrastructure, favourable regulatory policies, and stronger public-private partnerships to accelerate Nigeria’s digital transformation.

This, he said, formed the rationale behind the Telecoms Excellence Awards that was conceived to recognise organisations whose work has significantly advanced Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda and where the Founder/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Kasi Cloud, Johnson Agogbua, won the Digital Luminary Award.

Presenting the award to Mr Agogbua, ATCON President, Emoekpere, noted that Kasi Cloud’s emergence in the Gold Category reflected its strategic investments in world-class data infrastructure and its growing impact on the nation’s digital economy.

He commended the company for its vision and commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s digital backbone, stressing that such contributions are critical to achieving broader national goals around connectivity, innovation, and digital inclusion. According to him, the telecom sector requires strong private-sector leadership, and Kasi Cloud’s work exemplifies the type of innovation and dedication needed to propel the industry forward.

Receiving the award, Founder/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Kasi Cloud, Johnson Agogbua, expressed excitement that the honour is coming few months to its official launch.

According to him, it is early proof of Kasi Cloud’s mission to accelerate digital transformation and cloud in Africa, while building the foundation for the brand’s positioning.

“It’s a wonderful thing for us at Kasi. We are building hyperscale data centers for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cloud,” he said. “And I believe this will usher in and accelerate a different level of interconnection and communications applications, as well as data resident in Nigeria.”

He also lauded the Federal Government for committing $2 billion to a major fibre infrastructure initiative aimed at laying an additional 90,000 kilometres of fibre-optic cable across the country. He equally applauded the government’s decision to involve both public and private schools in providing free online classes.

His words: “The Honorable Minister has taken on what I call a moonshot, and that moonshot is to connect all of Nigeria, not some of Nigeria, to make sure that he has digital inclusion across all his programmes. It’s not just about the 4,000 towers. It’s about making sure that fiber reaches all corners of Nigeria. It’s about making sure that our children are not left behind, that our children are playing with the latest access to information and technology.

“That’s very important, from elementary school, primary school to secondary school to universities and colleges and beyond. That is actually needed. It doesn’t just stop there. He wants to get it to farms, factories, to make sure that we are building world class. We are developing world class because you cannot develop world class without using the latest in information technology.”

Also speaking, Senior Legal Counsel at Kasi Clouds, Victor Lawson, as well as Global Senior Manager, Marketing and Sales Operations, Ngozika Agogbua, said the recognition reflects the company’s dedication to building world-class digital infrastructure in Nigeria.

They noted that the honour would further inspire the team to deepen innovation, strengthen partnerships, and accelerate investments that support the country’s digital transformation agenda.