The Nigerian state through its ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) is moving fast towards achieving unprecedented internet speeds in the country as stipulated by the National Broandband Plan (NBP) 2020-2025.
The plan charges the country to achieve, and if possible surpass 70 per cent broadband internet penetration by 2025, a target that now stands at 40.07 per cent as at May, 2020, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) indicated in its latest data.
Towards this end, Ali Isa Pantami, minister of Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy, floated Broadband Implementation Steering Committee (BISC), to ensure “effective monitoring for implementation of the National Broadband Plan (NBP), 2020- 2025.”
Speaking at the inauguration recently, Pantami said that i n the new National Broadband Plan, there are many targets, principal of which are to cover 90 per cent of Nigerian population with broadband access and 70 per cent broadband penetration by 2025.
“We also plan to achieve a broadband speed of 25 megabits per second (mbps) in urban areas and 10 mbps in rural areas by the end of implementation of the new Broadband plan,” Pantami said.
Meanwhile, NCC is leading the committee, following the designation Ubale Maska, the commission’s executive commissioner, technical services, as the chairman of the multi-sectoral in Abuja.
The Minister said the inauguration of the committee was part of the ongoing journey for a Digital Nigeria, which had received a boost since his assumption of office in August, 2019.
“The journey started with the approval for the transformation of the ministry and its parastatals in October, 2019 from mere ICT institutions to digital economy institutions by the President.
“This was followed by the unveiling of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) in November, 2019 and the development of a new NBP 2020-2025, which was launched by the President on March 19, 2020,” he said.
He explained further that all the efforts were meant to put Nigeria on the global digital economy map, supported by robust broadband infrastructure.
He noted that under the NDEPS, Solid Infrastructure component, which is the 3rd pillar, will provide the bedrock for the realization of the country’s digital economy vision.
Pantami noted that the implementation of the new NBP had started fully and is resulting in the increase in broadband penetration currently at 40.14 percent, up from 35.10 per cent in August, 2019.
He added that the ICT industry contributed 14.07 per cent to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the first quarter of 2020, saying that further increase in broadband penetration will help Nigeria to achieve increased GDP growth.
The Minister, however, explained that problems of Right of Way (RoW), protection for telecom infrastructure and multiple taxations, which are critical to fast-track broadband infrastructure deployment and penetration, are being addressed from all fronts.
