Facebook Offers Free Internet Service in Nigeria

Facebook the social network giant has launched its Free Basics service in Nigeria; the Africa's most populous country which forms Facebook's biggest market on the continent. The Free Basics Service is a platform that allows internet users in Nigeria to access some listed websites at no cost. This implies that when a user visits any of the listed websites, the user's data will not be deducted. The Free Basics Service was launched in partnership with Airtel which is the country's third largest telecoms operator
with about thirty four (34) million subscribers across Nigeria.
Free Basics is part of Facebook's internet.org initiative which aims at providing internet access to the two-thirds of the world without it charging users for the internet service. The company said that the project has helped bring twenty five (25) million people online globally. For instance, in Nigeria, where it has sixteen (16) million users, the high price of data remains an impediment to internet access despite growing smart phone penetration. Facebook said it will work with developers in Nigeria who can build sites with local content which will improve the platform's relevance to the local audience. Among the sites already listed on the Free Basics Service is Jobberman—Nigeria's biggest jobs portal. In a post, Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and CEO; Facebook said that Facebook was eager to offer "the opportunity to access news, health information and services like Jobberman that were built by Nigerians" without having to pay.