LAGOS - Smile and the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that supports Wikipedia, are launching a partnership to provide Smile customers access to Wikipedia free of mobile data charges. With the introduction of this partnership, Smile Nigeria is West Africa’s first 4GLTE Telecommunications network operator to waive mobile data fees to Wikipedia for its more than TKTK subscribers.

Wikipedia is an online collection of knowledge written by volunteer editors from every corner of the globe. Available in nearly 300 languages, Wikipedia is a place to learn about virtually any topic -- from ancient history to science to pop culture -- in your local language, for free, and without advertising.

The partnership is part of the Wikimedia Foundation’s Wikipedia Zero program which aims to address one of the greatest barriers to accessing to knowledge on Wikipedia and the Wikimedia sites globally: affordability. Through the Wikipedia Zero program, mobile data fees are waived for subscribers of participating mobile operators so that they may read and edit Wikipedia without using any of their mobile data.

“This Wikipedia Zero partnership removes the data cost barrier for our customers to access quality information and educational materials,” said Kenneth Esenwah, Smile GM Sales and Distribution. “The initiative will enable many students, educational institutions, and business organizations in Nigeria to tap into the vast wealth of information available on Wikipedia for education and research,” says Kenneth.

"We are very excited to be working alongside Smile to expand access to Wikipedia in Nigeria," said Adele Vrana, Director of Partnerships for the Wikimedia Foundation. "While mobile internet access is fast growing, we've found that just 23% of Nigerians know about Wikipedia. With Smile, there’s a chance for us to change that, making the vast repository of information on Wikipedia readily accessible for people across Nigeria."

Acclaimed as the pioneer of 4G LTE technology in West Africa, Smile Nigeria is famous for continuously innovating to beat existing market benchmarks, all in a bid to provide value by adding products and services. The Wikipedia Zero program is available now for all Smile subscribers