The Minister of Communication Technology, Dr Omobola Johnson, has said the federal government is committed to a five-fold increase in broadband infrastructure to facilitate innovation and create more business opportunities for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) companies and the teeming unemployed youths in the country,ITRealms reports.
This is as the Commtech Minister listed inadequate power infrastructure as one of the key challenges impeding deployment of communications in Nigeria.
Johnson who stated this during a panel discussion on ‘Policies Enabling Access, Growth and Development on the Internet’ at the 9th Internet Governance Forum (IGF) held in Istanbul, Turkey, recently, emphasized that countries with a higher broadband penetration experience greater innovation as it is a catalyst that fast tracks innovation adding that in recognition of the huge potential of ICT to drive Nigeria, as an emerging market, her ministry and Federal Government were applying and promoting an ICT strategy that will facilitate and stimulate rapid growth and development for the country.
She said that Nigeria was aggressively developing its ICT sector to drive national development in all sectors noting that the country has unveiled a National Broadband Plan and is currently implementing it to increase broadband penetration in the country five folds over the 2012 penetration rate by 2017, and stressing that Nigeria was pushing for an increase in broadband penetration to fast track innovation and enable a digitalised economy
The 9th annual forum with the theme, ‘Connecting Continents for Enhanced Multi-stakeholder Internet Governance’ drew 215 participants from Africa and 1,163 remote participants from Africa, civil societies, Asia Pacific, governments, Eastern Europe, intergovernmental organisations, the private sector, Latin America and the Caribbean, the technical community, Western Europe and other bringing the number of participants to a total of 2,374 onsite participants and
ITRealms recalls that some of the anticipated benefits of broadband penetration in the country include socio-economic development leading to efficient healthcare service delivery, education and literacy, enhanced security and safety, etc. as well as more robust macroeconomic activities that accelerate growth.
Chukwudi Obi
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