Brovo Kim, Managing Director of Samsung
Electronics West Africa, reiterated the company’s
commitment at making Nigeria a truly digital
village when he said the company was set to
launch its first Digital Village in the Oban
community in Nigeria, which is located in the
Akamkpa Local Government Area of the Cross
River State.


The project, which is part of the company’s
strategic Corporate Citizenship program, will
provide access to innovative healthcare and
educational needs for the community, with the
aim of improving health outcomes, strengthening
education delivery and increasing the economic
potential of Oban.


The official launch scheduled for May 7, 2015, will
see the Digital Village having five key integrated
solutions that work together to benefit a
community in the delivery of health care services,
education and employment. They include: a Solar
Powered Internet School, Solar Powered Tele-
Medical Centre, Solar Powered Dental and Blood
Analysis Clinic, a Solar Power Generator, as well
as an Administrative Centre.


The Solar Powered Internet School consists of a
container fully equipped with complete education
curriculum and smart school technology; it seats
24 students, providing them with access to
education using interactive technology.


The Solar Powered Tele-Medical Centre is
equipped with ear, eye and mother and child
assessing facilities, while the Dental and Blood
Analysis Clinic has a state-of-the-art blood analysis
machine for on-the-spot diagnosis, as well as
tools to treat dental complications. Specifically
designed for rural areas, the centre offers
professional medical treatment, quick medical
diagnosis and health education. It also helps
minimise the need for rural dwellers to travel to
urban areas for medical attention.


A Solar Power Generator has also been deployed
to supply power to the host community to boost
small businesses in the area. The generator does
not emit pollutants and has negligible
maintenance costs, which will lower the
environmental impact and reduce overall
operating costs. Finally, the Administrative Centre
will serve as the coordinating hub for all the
Digital Village activities in the Oban community.


He said that the Samsung Digital Village is
innovative in its design due to its use of alternative
energy, which remains a major challenge in
Nigeria and is often an obstacle in implementing
such initiatives in rural communities. “The Digital
Village demonstrates our innovative approach to
investing in people and their communities. This
initiative offers a complete educational
infrastructure, comprehensive healthcare solution
and power generation capabilities that will spur
the growth of small businesses and harness the
energy of the sun to minimise running costs,
among others,” Kim said.