…Expect 90% Broadband Penetration by 2025 – Pantami

…As FG Commissions 11 Digital Economy Projects

By Emmanuel Elebeke

The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola says Nigeria urgently requires a seamless Communications platform to effectively tackle the challenge  of insecurity in the country.

Aregbesola spoke on Tuesday during the official commissioning of 11 Digital Economy Projects by the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy built by its parastatals.

He pleaded with the Ministry and its agencies to establish Emergency Communications Centres in every state of the federation and operationalize them.

He also pleaded with the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited  and Galaxy Backbone  develop capacity for seamless transmission of data and reception of it, saying that the government will continue to chase shadow in the fight against insecurity until these are done.

‘‘It took me the whole of my first term to put together an emergency call centre in Osun state. I realized that we cannot manage security if citizens cannot alert security agencies on time.  Going by even the provision of mobile telecommunications platform, if we do not have uniform platform with an emergency centre to alert, you are chasing shadow.

‘‘To me, the most important project commissioned today is the emergency centre. Apart from the constitutional makes it fundamental, the most important responsibility of government is security because people surrender their liberty and freedom to a state primary because of the assurance of security. For me, security is too key play with.

‘‘I will plea for ministry and its agencies, let us have these centres everywhere and kindly operationalize them. Nigerians need them. We cannot be here and we fail to tell ourselves hard truth. We must improve on the backbone.

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‘‘NigComSat, Galaxy Backbone are there, whatever it is, let us develop capacity for seamless transmission of data and reception of it.  That is when we can take maximum advantage of the new life that technology has brought.

‘‘We must really be in the centre of technology, the world are in now is driven by technology. Technology has the wheel to transform civilization as automobile and industrialization did, aviation, oil did. Technology is the nucleus and promoter of life in this face of our existence,’’ he said.

Responding, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami said the intervention of federal government on the challenges of telecom sector was aimed at improving  the quality of service across the country, except power supply which is beyond its control.

With regards to broadband penetration, the Minister said broadband penetration was a little over 30% when we came into office in August last year, but so far the penetration has  risen over 40%, indicating unprecedented leap in the growth rate.

He however assured that by 2025, a minimum of 90% of Nigerian citizens will have access to broadband service wherever they are in the country, adding that the Ministry is doing everything possible to make it happen, particularly with challenge posed by this COVID-19 pandemic.

‘‘We have been motivated to double our efforts to ensure infrastructure for our citizens’ communication virtually.’’

In the area of security, he said there had been many intervention of government to improve security, citing the Computer Emergency Notification Team as one of the government intervention currently playing significant role in protection of our Cyberspace.

In his goodwill message, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alh. Lai Mohammed said with the advent of the pandemic, government has become cheaper and more efficient due to the deployment of technology.

He noted that the major drawback this administration is the inability to showcase its numerous achievements, saying that the administration would not be distracted by the antics of naysayers, who are bent on undermining its efforts.

On his part, the Governor of Imo State and Chairman of the Occasion, Sen. Hope Uzodinma said with the aid of Emergency Communications Centre and the toll free line 112 and support from over 150 vehicles, the security operation in Imo is efficient.

He commended the Minister and his parastatal for the laudable initiatives and urged them to sustain the tempo.

The Governor also expressed his desire to leverage the benefits o virtual learning to improve education standard in Imo state.

Some of the projects commissioned include: completed projects across the country under the ‘Digital Economy Phase 2: Tertiary Institution Knowledge Center (TIKC), located in Delta State University, Abraka; New Neighborhood Post office in Delta State; Remodeled National Mail Exchange Centre in Mbiama, Bayelsa State.

Others are e-HealthData Sharing Center in Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Bauchi; Virtual Examination Centre in the University of Maiduguri; Information Technology Innovation Centre in Kogi State University; Information Technology Capacity Building at the Centre College Of Education, Jigawa and FUTO, Imo State.

The Minister also commission Emergency Communications Center (ECC) in Ilorin, Kwara State and Calabar, Cross River State and School Knowledge Center (SKC) in GDSS, Gombe State.

The eleven projects are the initiatives of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST); all of which are under the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.

The Ministry had earlier last month commissioned six projects in the first phase of the commissioning plan.

Vanguard