Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has told a gathering of state governors that the potentials of broadband are so enormous.
Pantami said this at the maiden edition of Broadband Technical Awareness Forum for Governors (BTAF), organised last week by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
The minister, in a press release by NCC Director, Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka, told the governors that broadband, if made available, will be the best gift for the economic emancipation of their people.
Pantami said greater support and collaboration will be required from the governors to address challenges to broadband infrastructure deployment by the telecom companies, which are expected to deploy required infrastructure to provide broadband services in all nooks and crannies of Nigeria.
“This is because, more than ever before, our security, economic and educational development rely on having state-based broadband structure and framework that will articulate the key targets in the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025, and this is the essence of this forum today,” he said.
The minister said access to broadband has been globally recognised as a necessity and not luxury.
He said the recognition explained the decision by the Federal Government to develop broadband plans aimed at deepening in-country connectivity to enhance socio-economic development.
Pantami, who established correlates between broadband penetration and growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), stated that countries with high density of broadband network have higher GDP per capital for the citizens.
He said the steady growth in broadband penetration over the years in Nigeria is directly reflecting on the economic growth of the country.
The governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, at the event, gave an impressive report card about what he has already achieved with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the education sector, and many other sectors in the state economy.
Obaseki, who delivered a goodwill message on behalf of other state governors, listed efforts made by state governments in encouraging broadband infrastructure deployment.
He assured stakeholders of the readiness and willingness of the state governments to work more with the Federal Government but emphasised the need for increased open dialogue and trust between the governments at the state and federal levels.
Representatives of other state governors also expressed their determination to co-operate more with the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, the NCC and other telecoms companies to facilitate deployment of fibre infrastructure which they believe would improve the socio-economic lives of citizens.
Chairman, Board of Commissioners at NCC, Professor Adeolu Akande, in his remarks, said Nigeria deserves to be in tune as the world goes digital in all spheres.
He said “we cannot afford to lag in being among the countries leveraging broadband for socio-economic development.
“We recognise the fact that Nigeria is a nation with federating units. Hence, it would be difficult to achieve faster and desired broadband penetration level without effective collaboration with the state governors.”
Akande particularly emphasised the centrality of synergy to tackle all challenges undermining broadband deployment, particularly multiple taxation, right of way (RoW), denial of access to telecoms sites for maintenance, vandalism and insecurity, among others.
Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Professor Umar Danbatta, in his own submission, said the objective of the event was to seek better understanding and rich resolutions to all issues affecting faster broadband deployment.
He reminded participants that, “though we are making gradual progress towards our target, this forum will provide us with deeper insights on how to address identified challenges to broadband deployment.”
At the event, attended by over 170 delegates and following discussion at the technical panel session, several resolutions were made towards ensuring accessible, available, and affordable broadband services that will support the overall socio-economic development in the country.
A key decision taken at the forum is the urgent need to establish State Broadband Coordinating Council, as a Sub-National Structure at the state level which is urgently required to enhance the accomplishment of the objectives of the NNBP.
