Key Points
- MTN will provide selected routers at no cost to young people in the South-East.
- The devices, valued at up to ₦60,000 each, will require beneficiaries to subscribe to applicable data plans.
- The initiative targets techies, students, entrepreneurs, remote workers and digital creators.
Main Story
MTN has partnered with The Block Hive, a technology hub in Nsukka, Enugu State, to provide at least 5,000 free internet routers to young people across the South-East.
The initiative is aimed at supporting techies, students, remote workers, entrepreneurs and digital creators who require internet access to participate in the digital economy.
Callima Inino, MTN’s South-East Regional Representative, announced the company’s commitment during a meeting with The Block Hive team in Enugu on Wednesday.
Inino said selected 4G and 5G routers, which cost up to ₦60,000 each, would be provided to eligible beneficiaries at no cost.
He, however, said beneficiaries would be required to subscribe to the applicable MTN data plan attached to their selected router packages.
“MTN representatives and agents will be present at the South-East Blockchain & Games Week 2026 event across all the build stations the event is setting up in all states of the South-East.
“We will be providing information about the available router options and facilitating access to eligible offers as well,” he said.
The router distribution will be facilitated through The Block Hive and selected technology community activities, including the South-East Blockchain & Games Week 2026 scheduled for September 16 to 19.
Speaking at the meeting, Kevin Okoye, Founder and CEO of Ginakev Labs, which established The Block Hive, said the initiative was designed to remove the upfront cost of acquiring internet equipment for young people.
He said the technology ecosystem in the South-East was growing rapidly but young people continued to face practical barriers, including unreliable electricity, inadequate workspace and limited internet infrastructure.
“The Block Hive was created in part to address these challenges by providing reliable power, internet connectivity, co-working facilities, training, event and co-living apartment infrastructure to the technology community,” he said.
Okoye said the initiative would use The Block Hive’s existing technology community and Ginakev Labs’ network to reach beneficiaries across the region.
He said GIDA, the education and skills-development arm of Ginakev Labs, had trained more than 10,000 young people in digital skills and blockchain technology since 2020, with many receiving fully funded scholarships supported by the Ginakev Foundation.
According to him, The Block Hive complements the training programme by providing developers, entrepreneurs, students, creators and remote workers with a physical environment to learn, work and collaborate.
Okoye said MTN’s support would help ensure that the cost of internet equipment did not prevent young people with the skills and ambition to work from participating in the digital economy.
The Issues
Access to reliable internet remains an important infrastructure requirement for young people working, studying and building businesses through digital platforms.
The initiative targets one of the practical barriers identified by The Block Hive, although the source does not provide details on the criteria that will determine eligibility for all 5,000 beneficiaries.
The routers will also require ongoing subscriptions to applicable MTN data plans, meaning the devices will be provided free while connectivity will continue to involve a recurring cost for beneficiaries.
What’s Being Said
“If someone has a laptop, has the skills and has the ambition to work, the last thing we want is for the cost of getting a router to become the reason they cannot participate.” – Kevin Okoye, Founder and CEO, Ginakev Labs
“MTN representatives and agents will be present at the South-East Blockchain & Games Week 2026 event across all the build stations the event is setting up in all states of the South-East.” – Callima Inino, MTN South-East Regional Representative
What’s Next
MTN representatives and agents are expected to attend the South-East Blockchain & Games Week 2026 across the build stations being established in the states of the South-East.
They will provide information on available router options and facilitate access to eligible offers.
The event, which is scheduled for September 16 to 19, is being co-convened by Okoye and builds on the Ethereum Enugu Hub conference organised in 2025.
Bottom Line
MTN’s planned distribution of at least 5,000 free routers is intended to lower the upfront cost of internet access for young people participating in the South-East’s growing technology ecosystem.
