Alaba International Market is arguably one of the largest electrical markets in West Africa, housing a lot of companies that manufacture and import different commodities.
It receives over 100,000 buyers daily and contributes billions of naira to the Nigerian economy. Alaba International Market is a lively market with its bizarre view of goods up for sale and busy trading activities.
But despite its importance as a commercial centre, Alaba International Market had for a long time been bedevilled by a lack of reliable network connectivity factor that has hampered business and life generally. Enter Adebanjo Oluwatobiloba Emmanuel, a visionary network engineer determined to bridge this digital divide and empower the community through the power of Wi-fi.
Knowing full well the prospect that Alaba International Market was, and how urgent its connectivity was getting, he embarked on bringing Wi-fi into the area. First and foremost, an infrastructure assessment had to be done. The main hurdles were identified with no network coverage, highly dense population, and hustling activity of the area at large. The situation needed a well-planned and innovative approach.
Undaunted by the complexity of the challenge, Tobiloba proposed an implementation plan for a strong and reliable Wi-fi network. Its implementation called for mounting a series of high-performance access points placed strategically at parts of the market to ensure complete coverage and high signal strength. The solution will integrate the access points on a point-to-point links network, with these collocated on a 30m mast in F line to provide the backbone resilience, while high data demand necessitates such a system.
To begin the project, Tobiloba worked with local authorities and stakeholders to gain all the permissions required and ensure buy-in from the people. Engagement with the community is a vital component: aside from giving a sense of ownership, it guarantees that whatever fix comes will be appropriate to the needs of the inhabitants and businesses of Alaba.
The deployment was a logistical feat, which needed much adaptation in planning and coordination. Tobiloba led a dedicated team of technicians to install the access points, passing the ethernet wire via the roof, laying fibre cables, and configuring the network settings. Against typical busy marketplace environment challenges, this was a feat of the strong will and expertise of the team.
After putting up the infrastructure, Adebanjo did massive testing to ensure that the network was high-speed and reliable. Indeed, the results proved to be very promising, showing the Wi-Fi signal power which had reached every corner of Alaba, even the most remote ones. Moreover, he put in advanced security measures that prevent unauthorized access, hence assuring users of data privacy.
The immediate effect of this newly established Wi-Fi network was nothing short of transformational. Productivity increased for businesses in Alaba, now able to process transactions and tap into a wealth of online resources, as well as communicate with customers and suppliers alike with ease. All the convenience brought on by reliable connectivity also lured more shoppers into town, raising sales and increasing the general levels of economic activity. The network helped improve communication and social interaction, helping residents stay connected with proximal and far-flung family and friends.
With time, this Wi-fi in Alaba came to serve several thousand users each day. Besides giving Adebanjo a name for being an astute, creative network engineer, the project showcased the power of connectivity in bridging gaps in the digital divide and facilitating community development.
Adebanjo’s story of bringing Wi-fi into the Alaba community is but one example of what committed individuals can do for a community. Mixing technical skills, strategic plans, and steadfast dedication, Adebanjo did more than overcome deployment challenges but made a very active community prosper in the modern world.
The Wi-fi network by Tobiloba, serving many in Alaba to this date, is an interesting case of using technology not only to create value but also to fuel positive change in the most underserved parts of the environment.
