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FG restates commitment to broadband infrastructure development

By on September 15, 2014

The Minister of Communications Technology, Dr. Omobola Johnson has reinstated federal government’s commitment to build ubiquitous broadband infrastructure that will facilitate innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.

She made the pledge at a panel discussion on “Policies Enabling Access, Growth and Development on the Internet” at the just concluded 9th Internet Governance Forum (IGF) held in Istanbul, Turkey last week.

The IGF is an annual forum where all stakeholders come together to discuss issues that impact on development and governance of the internet. The conference with the theme, ‘Connecting Continents for Enhanced Multi-stakeholder Internet Governance’, drew participants from across the globe.

Johnson stated at the forum that Nigeria has unveiled a National Broadband Plan and is currently implementing the plan to increase broadband penetration in the country by a five-fold increase over the 2012 penetration rate by 2017.

According to the minister, Nigeria is pushing for an increase in broadband penetration to facilitate innovation and enable a digitalised economy. She noted that countries with higher broadband penetration experience greater innovation because broadband is an enabler that fuels innovation and does so exponentially.

Johnson said, in recognition of the huge potential of information and communications Technology (ICTs) to create a developed economy, Nigeria, as an emerging market is applying and promoting an ICT strategy in all facets geared at facilitating its rapid growth and development.

Nigeria is aggressively developing its ICT sector to drive national development in all sectors-agriculture, manufacturing, health, education, she said.

She identified inadequate power infrastructure as one of the key challenges impeding deployment of communications infrastructure rollout in Nigeria, but stressed that federal government was working to address the issue.

Expected benefits of broadband penetration in Nigeria, according to Johnson, include economic and social development leading to increased healthcare, education and literacy, security and safety, among others, as well as improved efficient and effective economic activities that accelerate growth.

 

[This Day]