Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Nigeria’s broadband plan to boost connectivity –Sambo

Anthony Nwakaegho/DigitalSENSE Business News

Nigeria has a broadband plan that would enable all Nigerians to have access to the internet in the next five years.

The Vice President Namadi Sambo, who was represented by the Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs  Omobola Johnson made this known  at the opening of the 53rd council meeting and 11th annual forum of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO), titled “Innovation through broadband’’ in Abuja and stressed  that the job on broadband in Nigeria was not yet done, DigitalSENSE Business News  reports.

He said that the impact of broadband technology on development was so significant that every country was pursuing strategy to expand the reach and utilisation of its services as millions of people that previously did not have access to telephone and internet now have access.

“To me as a public servant, the most significant contribution broadband has made is the way it has facilitated in informing and empowering the public to which we all owe broadband our highest duty. Nigeria has made impressive gain in the field of telecommunications and we are paving the way to the connectivity of all Nigerians to broadband even in the next five years, ‘’Sambo said.

He said that almost 40 per cent of the world’s populations are now online through broadband service and called on stakeholders at the forum to focus on how to access the different stages of broadband development and to discover the best practice strategy for moving forward in broadband connectivity.
                                                 
“Global Internet penetration has continued to increase and almost 40 per cent of world population is now online. However the numbers of people connected to Internet are fewer in the developing countries than developed ones.
“Internet penetration is faster among the youths and it is therefore the reason why this forum will focus on the use of ICT by youths. The number of facebook users is becoming an informal indicator of the social media. Nigeria recently became the location of the largest users of facebook in sub-Saharan Africa,’’ he said.

DigitalSENSE Business News noted that the forum would also focus on women, empowerment and ICT, since women make up about 50 per cent of the population and workforce in the country.


... Making SENSE of digital revolution!
Pix: Vice President Namadi Sambo

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