The Minister for Communications, Barrister Adebayo Shittu has called on the Nigerian National Broadband Council (NNBC) to develop strategies to fast-track the building of an integrated national broadband which will enhance innovation, smart cities research and development, among others.
Shittu who disclosed this at the second meeting of the Nigerian National Broadband Council (NNBC), said that broadband is the nerve supporting the development, operation and maintenance of all ICT enabled activities including Internet of Things (IoT).
His words: “Council members are therefore invited to take a critical view on the nation’s standing, and review the 2013-2018 plan with dispatch, develop an appropriate strategy document for 2019-2024 that will fast-track the building of an integrated and ubiquitous national broadband backbone infrastructure; and enhance innovation, research and development; smart cities; critical communication; funding and implementation modalities”.
Furthermore, the Communications Minister said that broadband improves efficiency transparency, visibility, accessibility and effectiveness of the deployed service.
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“I wish to reiterate what all of you already know: that broadband is the nerve supporting the development, operations and maintenance of all ICT enabled activities including Internet of Things (IoT), smart cities, e-Governance, critical communication, it improves efficiency, transparency, visibility, accessibility and effectiveness of deployed service.
“Ubiquitous broadband infrastructure impacts positively on the socio-economic growth of the nation as can be seen from the performance of top world economies on the 2018 Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) on which Nigeria was ranked 115; that is below other African counties such as South African(67), Morocco (75), Kenya (93).
“Therefore, the absence of integrated national broadband infrastructure is Nigeria could partly responsible to the poor ranking of the nation”, Barrister Shittu said.
In her address, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Communications, Mrs Nkechi Ejele encouraged members of the council to use their experiences and utilize the global best practices in the review of the Nigerian Broadband Plan 2013-2018 and develop a new strategy for 2019-2024 for the advancement of socio-economic development.