In 2000 Cliff Missen and Michael McNulty founded WiderNet to "provide training and research in low-cost, high impact uses of information technologies in developing countries". Missen developed the idea after studying at the University of Jos in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria, the year before as a Fulbright Scholar. While studying and teaching in Nigeria through the program, Missen experienced first-hand frustrations the lack of Internet access caused. This frustration led to his vision of the WiderNet project with the objective of providing training and research in low-cost, high-impact uses of information technologies in developing countries.