In Okporoenyi Autonomous Community, Bende Local Government Area of Abia State, limited internet access had long been a quiet but heavy constraint. Students could not complete assignments or prepare for examinations without leaving the community. Farmers had no reliable digital tools to support their work. Small business owners — including cocoa farmers — had no way to access online markets or government development programmes. For a community with road infrastructure challenges and historically limited digital access, the gap between Okporoenyi and the connected world was wide.
For a community with constrained road infrastructure and historically limited internet, opportunities had always stopped at the community’s edge. Not anymore.
On March 24, 2026, that changed.
Residents of Okporoenyi gathered to inaugurate the Okporoenyi Autonomous Community Connectivity Hub — solar-powered and equipped with internet connectivity and ICT equipment, giving many their first real access to digital tools. This project was sponsored by the United Kingdom Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) under the Digital Access Programme (DAP) and implemented by Initiative for Digital Inclusion (IDI) under the Community Self-Built Sustainable Connectivity Hub Project, spanning ten underserved communities across Nigeria. The hub was built for the community and handed over to them to own.
What made this possible was not just funding — it was leadership. HRH Eze (Engr.) Ogbonna C. Iromantu, Enyi I of Okporoenyi Autonomous Community, played a defining role. The pioneer Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, the Eze brought deep knowledge of the value of connectivity. His vision for the hub extends further still — to host an accredited Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) Centre, expanded internet coverage for churches and POS operators, and digital tools integrated into cocoa farming development programmes already being surveyed by the government.
The inauguration drew strong institutional participation. The Eze, the Council of Elders, community chiefs, the Principals of both the Senior and Junior Secondary Schools, representatives of the Secondary Education Management Board (SEMB), religious leaders, women, youth, farmers, and community members all showed up. The facility was formally handed over to Hon. Emmanuel Nwankwo, Councillor of Okporoenyi Ward, on behalf of the community, marking the transition from implementation to community operation. The Executive Chairman of Bende LGA, Hon. DCN Nwabunkeoye Bassey, pledged full government support, committed to ensuring 100 community members are trained, and called on IDI to replicate the hub in another community within Bende LGA.
The difference is already taking shape.
The hub opens direct pathways to Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) registration, Computer-Based Test (CBT) examinations, e-health access, and online business activities. For the local Cocoa Farming Association, it offers a platform for online registration and market access — connecting a key local livelihood to the digital economy for the first time. For students, it means research and exam preparation without leaving home. For youth and women, it opens doors to skills, employment, and economic participation. An institutional partnership with Michael Okpara University of Agriculture is also on the horizon, deepening the hub’s potential as an education and development resource.
To build on that foundation, community members will immediately begin an eight-week free digital skills training programme — giving them the practical tools to make the most of what the hub offers.
For the people of Okporoenyi, that is where access turns into students passing exams, farmers selling cocoa crops at better prices, entrepreneurs reaching new markets, and young people building careers they never thought possible from their own community.
📸 See pictures below for more…
Hon. Emmanuel Nwankwo-Councillor of the Bende Ward, Council members and the Eze of Okporenyi Community present at the inauguration of the Okporoenyi Community Connectivity Hub.
The Kola nut was broken and presented to HRH Eze (Engr) Ogbonna C. Iromantu of Enyi 1 of Okporenyi Autonomous Community for prayers.
IDI Director explaining the Okporoenyi Community Connectivity Hub Project to the Executive chairman of Bende LGA- Hon. Dcn. Uwabunkeonye Bassey during the inauguration of the Okporenyi Self-Built Community Connectivity Hub.
Instructor leading the presentation for students of Community Secondary School, Okporoenyi.
Students of Community Secondary School, Okporoenyi, test-running the digital devices at the Community Connectivity Hub.
Group photo session with Okporoenyi community residents, the Executive chairman of Bende LGA, and IDI representatives.
Sustainable power and connectivity infrastructure on the hub building.