Layer3 has upgraded the internet bandwidth to the headquarters of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC). It says the move is aimed at raising the agency’s communication and response capacities, as it battles the current corona virus pandemic.
The upgrade, which involved doubling the internet bandwidth to the agency, has been provided free of charge. According to Oyaje Idoko, the Chief Executive Officer, “the cost-free service is part of its contribution to the ongoing fight against COVID-19 in the country.”
While it has functioned with its initial internet bandwidth for a while, the rise in cases of seasonal and novel viral infections has caused a spike in the traffic going to its websites and communication channels.
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The NCDC is leading the medical response to the pandemic in Nigeria. It had to scale up its communications with its team across Nigeria, and with the country’s wider population, as public concerns over diseases, such as Lassa fever, have grown. This has been followed by an even greater demand for information from the public, occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The doubling of its bandwidth capacity by Layer3 will ensure that the quality of internet-based communication between it and the public remains in place and is not depreciated by the increasing volumes of traffic coming into its headquarters. Crucially, it will allow more Nigerians to reach the agency via its digital channels and obtain potentially life-saving information.
Responding to the gesture by Layer3, the Director-General of the NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekewazu, said “This support will help to enhance our use of technology in the ongoing response to COVID-19 and Lassa fever outbreak in Nigeria. Importantly, it will ensure the timely exchange of information.”
The NCDC provides daily updates on its efforts to combat the coronavirus in Nigeria. These updates are available on its website, ww.covid19.ncdc.gov.ng, as well as its social media pages.