TO make Nigeria more competitive on the global space, the Federal
Government is targeting additional $25 billion investment in the
country’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector
soonest.
Already, the sector, especially the telecommunications arm has so far attracted over $25 billion investment within the last 13 years.
Speaking about this plan, the Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson in Lagos, Monday, said the Federal Government is keen on ensuring that the country is enabled to be able attract the right investment.
Johnson, who launched a new campaign broadband campaign with the theme: ‘Connected Nigeria, Connected Nigerians’, said “we need $25 billion more in the next few years into the country. As I speak with you, the Nigerian Communications Commission is going around, as the ministry also does, to win more investors into the country to boost broadband penetration in Nigeria.”
Johnson said though the broadband penetration is the country currently stands between six and seven per cent, stressing that the ministry was working with all stakeholders to ensure that the National Broadband Plan 2013-2018 implementation is achieved.
“To ensure that the Plan is monitored, we set up the Broadband Council in 2013 to ensure proper monitoring of the Broadband Plan implementation,” she said.
She explained that with ICT sector currently contributing about eight per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), in Nigeria, while adding that to fast-track the broadband infrastructure deployment by telecoms firms, the ministry has been working with state governments and other stakeholder to address technical and financial and environmental obstacles for the operators to accelerate broadband deployment.
The minister cited the effort which the ministry has made in Lagos State to reduce the cost of fiber optic deployment by 85 per cent, stressing that similar move is being made to ensure the the Right of Way, RoW, cost is drastically reduced for faster infrastrstructre rollout.
Speaking on the objective of the broadband campaign, the minister said it was meant to get Nigerians to be aware of “what can happen when you have broadband access and what can happen when you use broadband.”
She said the campaign, mainly targeted at individual internet users, is to also sensitise end users on cyber security and online protection, among others.
“So, the campaign is not premature. We want people to understand and know what is possible and benefits about the broadband,” she said.
In his remarks, the President, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) and Member, Broadband Council, Lanre Ajayi, the broadband campaign would be useful in sensitising Nigerians about applications of broadband access when they have it.
Ajayi, who commended the effort on RoW reduction, also called on the operators to embrace co-location, saying co-location is a great success factor to achieving broadband penetration.
The ministry said it would soon unveil a number of campaign initiatives in the print media, broadcaster and new media as a way of deepening communication for development.
Source:Guardian News Website
Already, the sector, especially the telecommunications arm has so far attracted over $25 billion investment within the last 13 years.
Speaking about this plan, the Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson in Lagos, Monday, said the Federal Government is keen on ensuring that the country is enabled to be able attract the right investment.
Johnson, who launched a new campaign broadband campaign with the theme: ‘Connected Nigeria, Connected Nigerians’, said “we need $25 billion more in the next few years into the country. As I speak with you, the Nigerian Communications Commission is going around, as the ministry also does, to win more investors into the country to boost broadband penetration in Nigeria.”
Johnson said though the broadband penetration is the country currently stands between six and seven per cent, stressing that the ministry was working with all stakeholders to ensure that the National Broadband Plan 2013-2018 implementation is achieved.
“To ensure that the Plan is monitored, we set up the Broadband Council in 2013 to ensure proper monitoring of the Broadband Plan implementation,” she said.
She explained that with ICT sector currently contributing about eight per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), in Nigeria, while adding that to fast-track the broadband infrastructure deployment by telecoms firms, the ministry has been working with state governments and other stakeholder to address technical and financial and environmental obstacles for the operators to accelerate broadband deployment.
The minister cited the effort which the ministry has made in Lagos State to reduce the cost of fiber optic deployment by 85 per cent, stressing that similar move is being made to ensure the the Right of Way, RoW, cost is drastically reduced for faster infrastrstructre rollout.
Speaking on the objective of the broadband campaign, the minister said it was meant to get Nigerians to be aware of “what can happen when you have broadband access and what can happen when you use broadband.”
She said the campaign, mainly targeted at individual internet users, is to also sensitise end users on cyber security and online protection, among others.
“So, the campaign is not premature. We want people to understand and know what is possible and benefits about the broadband,” she said.
In his remarks, the President, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) and Member, Broadband Council, Lanre Ajayi, the broadband campaign would be useful in sensitising Nigerians about applications of broadband access when they have it.
Ajayi, who commended the effort on RoW reduction, also called on the operators to embrace co-location, saying co-location is a great success factor to achieving broadband penetration.
The ministry said it would soon unveil a number of campaign initiatives in the print media, broadcaster and new media as a way of deepening communication for development.
Source:Guardian News Website