Internet community seeks input on Nigeria’s history of internet

The Nigerian Internet community has commenced plans to gather information on the history of the Internet in the country.

The team project-lead, Mrs. Titilayo Akinsanmi-Bolarinwa, confirmed to ITRealms Online that the project which started since March 22 would last till April 22, 2012 in the first phase with respondents sending feedbacks to 9jainternethistory@nira.org.ng.

She also disclosed that the project which comes in three phases is to allow the Internet Society (ISOC) Nigeria chapter to meet up the Global INET convention due to hold in April in Geneva.

She noted that the timelines for the additional two phases 2 and 3 will be determined at this session.

The project, she pointed out, would involve development of work plans with assigned tasks across phases and by identifying specific recipients to write for each sector as well as development of questionnaires.

Additionally, Mrs. Bolarinwa said the project would encompass public announcement on the subject, collation and editing of responses, publishing of the draft to be followed by comments period.

According to her, the draft would be discussed at ISOC Nigeria chapter meeting before it’s adoption as volume 1 for public presentation, even as definition of work plans and timelines for phases 2 and 3 are expected to commence immediate on conclusion of phase 1.

She said that the project team includes the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and Minister of Communications Technology, the academia, private sector, media, civil society groups and individual end-users.

She explained that the questionnaire to be administered would comprise the given names and surname of the respondent, place or country of residence and contact details, including electronic mail (email), mobile, telephone and fax.

While promising that contact details would be kept very confidential, she said respondents would be expected to add the organization, affiliations they represent and perspectives on the Internet in Nigeria.

“Please share any facts, milestones personalities or events that pertain to the growth of the Internet in Nigeria,” she solicited, urging that respondents include references for the information provided, which could come inform of web links, documents and or publications.

Mrs. Bolarinwa reiterated that the deadline remain April 22, 2012 for submission of inputs.   

She recalled that the goal of this initiative is to have an overview of how the Internet industry in Nigeria has evolved.

“This is part of a wider strategy to further strengthen and entrench a cohesive and united voice for Nigeria in the local, regional and International Internet ecosystem as proposed and agreed by the Nigeria attendees meeting at ICANN 43 in San Jose, Costa Rica,” she said.

The objective, she said is to capture the ‘story’ of the entrance of the Internet and its development and roll-out in Nigeria from the perspective of all stakeholders: government, private, civil society groups as well as those of key end users in the country.

On the strategy, the project team lead said its to capture in this first round a general background of how the Internet ecosystem and its use evolved in Nigeria.

“The next series would then delve deeper into specific experiences and then to sub-regional status. It will seek to capture the experiences, penetration, adoption patterns and technology growth amongst others,” she assured.

The outcome, she said, would be a series of online and print publications that would be made publicly available across Nigeria, as well as events attended locally and internationally.

While the end result, she said, is to project Nigeria and increase her relevance on the global stage as far as the internet and related technologies are concerned.

Remmy Nweke
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