Imagine a world where every Nigerian student could effortlessly connect to the internet at no cost. Picture the endless learning opportunities that unfold in this imaginative realm.
Now, enter the tale of Raven Feather Internet — an ambitious vision turned reality. This vision began with a dream to make free on-campus WiFi a reality in Nigerian universities. To open students to a wealth of knowledge that would propel them to academic success and help them build soft skills.
This dream spurred the Raven Feather Internet initiative. It was the goal behind the successful idealisation, installation and launch of the first free on-campus WIFI service in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
However, our celebration of this feat would be incomplete without telling you the story behind the initiative, the hurdles we faced and the milestones we reached in our journey to making history. In this piece, we’ll share the story behind the Raven Feather Internet project, what we intend to do with it and why it means so much to us.
IDEALISATION — THE DREAM
In 2022 during a roundtable discussion, we identified the lack of digital access as one of the issues Nigerian youths face. And as a digital bank, internet access is a core point of our operations, which means our staff and users require internet connectivity to transact and conduct other aspects of their lives daily. However, despite the global surge in digitisation, a significant portion of Nigeria’s youth still grapples with limited internet access.
We did some research.
Our research unveiled a startling fact: more than half of Nigeria’s whopping 200 million people, as per a 2021 World Bank report, lack basic digital skills. This means they’re missing out on the incredible power of the internet. The main culprits? Digital illiteracy and, unfortunately, not being able to afford internet plans. What’s even sadder is that a sizeable chunk of these folks are students trying to make their way through Nigeria’s education system.
And so, we idealised the Feather Internet Initiative.
The Feather Internet Initiative was our way of tackling this issue head-on. Our goal was straightforward: to provide lightning-fast, free, and safe internet access to more than 400,000 Nigerian students across 26 Federal and state universities. We wanted to level the playing field, ensuring that these students could tap into a world of information without being held back by a digital divide. Plus, we had an extra ace up our sleeve: we aimed to equip these young minds with practical skills that would come in handy as they stepped into the professional world.
NAMING THE INITIATIVE
Once we had identified the problem and come up with a solution, we needed a name that would capture the essence of our initiative. And where did we turn for inspiration? Our mascot, of course — the Raven.
Known for its intelligence, insight, and transformative nature, the Raven made for a perfect symbol. Its feathers represented change and transformation. And drawing from the Raven’s swift flight, we named our internet network after its feathers. And so, the Raven Feather Internet was born — a network that aimed to transcend boundaries and redefine how people interacted digitally.
CHOOSING INSTITUTIONS
With our goal set and initiative named, it was time to select the different institutions to receive the Feather Internet service. We started by setting requirements each institution must meet beforehand; we considered the following:
- Number of Students: We evaluated the student population size in each institution.
- The geographical location of the institution.
- The existing technological infrastructure of the institution.
- Digital Needs: The specific digital requirements of each institution.
- And their commitment to Innovation cv
Choosing the right institutions was a crucial step in our journey to make Raven Feather Internet a game-changer in digital communication and learning. We knew that by partnering with the right institutions, we could make a difference and shape how people engage and learn in the digital age.
THE MAIDEN EDITION
We chose Ignatius Ajuru University of Education as the starting point for our new initiative. After ensuring it met all our criteria, we contacted the versity’s management and put in a lot of effort to set up the Feather Internet. Everything was in place before our planned launch date in August 2023.
About a month before the big day, the Raven Feather Internet was up and running smoothly. While planning the official launch party, we caught up with some students to learn how they liked the internet service.
Curious about what they had to say? Check out their stories here:
Finally, on August 4th 2023, we officially launched the Raven Feather Internet at a glamorous ceremony held at the institution’s auditorium. The IAUE management and student community, Raven management and staff, and other distinguished guests attended the event.
You can check out the official launch of the Raven Feather Internet HERE.
To get involved with our transformative Feather Internet Program and stay updated, follow us @theravenbank on all the major social media platforms. Also, don’t forget to download the Raven app for more exciting offers.
