24 higher institutions, comprising 18 universities and six polytechnics, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), will benefit from a broadband infrastructure project designed to accelerate the Nigeria digital economy efforts.
The higher institutions were evenly drawn from the six geopolitical zones in the country to benefit from the project which was designed by the Federal Goverment.
Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, said this at the unveiling of the broadband project being driven by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), held at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.
Pantami, who presided over the event, said the project underscored the importance of broadband connectivity and access as central to the accomplishment of the targets of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020-2030 for a digital Nigeria.
The minister, who was joined at the event by the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Mohammed Bello, said the project was in line with the mandates of President Muhammadu Buhari on job creation and economic diversification.
Pantami disclosed that the key infrastructure being provided for the project comprised of broadband infrastructure for tertiary institutions; broadband infrastructure for MSME; distribution of 6,000 e-pad tablets, in addition to provision of broadband connectivity to 20 markets as a pilot.
He said the interest in supporting the MSMEs was justified by their current contribution of more than half of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) prior to COVID-19 outbreak, and now constitute 96.7 per cent of entire businesses in the country.
Therefore “any effort to develop our economy without bringing such important sector into the equation will amount to efforts in futility,” Pantami said.
The event had in attendance chairman of the NCC Board, Professor Adeolu Akande; Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Professor Umar Danbatta; Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Abubakar Rasheed; and Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Professor Idris Bugaje.
A book authored by Pantami, titled “Skills Rather Than Just Degrees”, with foreword written by Brad Smith, President of Microsoft Corporation, was also presented for the industry at the unveiling of the broadband project.
Pantami said the book was his intellectual contribution to bridging skills gap to enable Nigerians to tap into the opportunities that exist in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and other sectors of the economy.
The book was reviewed by three vice chancellors: Professor Muhammad Abdulazeez of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi; Professor Owuanari Georgewill of University of Port Harcourt; and Professor Sagir Adamu Abbas of Bayero University Kano.
The three reviewers commended the efforts of the minister in putting down his thoughts and experience in book form.
In their comments, Professors Akande and Danbatta restated that the project will fast-track and enhance the ongoing efforts of the NCC to deepen connectivity towards achieving the targeted broadband penetration of 70 per cent by 2025.
NCC’s chairman, Akande, assured of the commitment of the Commission in completing the broadband project, which will add the necessary fillip to achieving the major objectives spelt out in the NDEPS, 2020-2030.
The EVC of NCC, Danbatta, highlighted the Commission’s drive towards deepening broadband penetration in the country and the promotion of digital skills acquisition to improve service delivery in other sectors of the economy, including education, commerce, healthcare, agriculture, finance, transportation and governance, among others.
The event attracted many stakeholders, especially from the academia, as well as technology enthusiasts, prospective start-up companies, fintech organisations and other interested sectors whose activities are billed to be energised through diligent implementation of the NDEPS and other extant policies guiding the digital economy agenda of the Nigerian government.
