As IoT beckons, Pantami assures of proactive regulation

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Mr Isa Ibrahim Pantami has assured the nation that Nigeria’s telecoms regulatory framework has been designed to address the challenges that may arrive with the advancement of the Internet of Things (IoT) in the country.

Pantami, who spoke at the twin event – Stakeholders Consultative Forum on Regulatory Roadmap for IoT Ecosystem in Nigeria, hosted by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC); and the presentation of two books authored by the Minister, declared that Nigeria has already exhibited its preparedness to harness the potentials of this new service, as demonstrated in the reduction in incidences of cybercrimes in Nigeria over the past two years.

He emphasised the need for the type of consultations and brainstorming being hosted for IoT, as the International Data Cooperation (IDC) revealed that,

“By 2025, there will be about 46.1 billion IoT devices that are going to be interconnected globally and through this connection, the data to be generated will be up to 79.4 zeta bites,” he stated.

At a gathering that featured presentations by local and international experts, with the Secretary of the InternationalTelecommunication Union (ITU), Mr Houlin Zhao, in virtual participation, Pantami said IoT is crucial to present-day emergent technologies considering its connectedness to devices in facilitating productivity, minimise waste as well as ensure a faster decision-making process where a massive amount of data can be analysed and presented for decision making.