Social media platform Facebook today announced it will be launching its Internet.org app in Nigeria in May.
Speaking this morning on a panel at the Mobile West Africa conference in Lagos, Nigeria, Ebele Okobi, Head of Public Policy (Africa) at Facebook said recommendations for locally relevant apps are being accepted in order to provide Nigerians with apps they can use for various purposes.
Okobi said Nigeria's Internet.org app will include Facebook and locally relevant apps for education, sports, gossip and others.
The Internet.org app has been launched in Zambia, Kenya, Ghana and several other countries across the world.
When it is launched in Nigeria, Okobi said subscribers of the partnering network will have access to a set of websites and services for free.
Although Okobi did not reveal any partnering telecoms network for Nigeria, she said Internet.org is encouraging telecoms companies to look at the long-term benefits and not immediate gains.
"Operators bear the cost. They are introducing internet to a lot of people. And based on agreement, they can introduce pricing following the expiration of the agreement," she said. "We are asking them to give up short term profit for long-term benefits."
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