Data tariffs will crash by 40 per cent in the next five years, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has said.
Pantami disclosed this in Abuja on Monday at the opening ceremony of digital skills training for ICT journalists.
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He said with low cost data, more Nigerians would be able to utilise the opportunities available on the internet.
He said government was also working to ensure that at least 80 million Nigerians have access to broadband internet by 2025.
“And this means hundreds more jobs will be created across the country”, he added.
He said the government’s new five-year broadband plan would also raise broadband penetration in the country to 70% in five years time.
“With all these the telecom operators will no longer give excuses and we’ll now ensure that prices of data come down by 40% by 2025”, he said.
According to him, the aim of digital economy will only be achieved when millions of Nigerians are digitally inclined.
Henceforth, he said, the government would deemphasize certificate qualifications and lay much emphasis on skills acquisition.
He also revealed that digital economy departments would be created in all of the ministry’s agencies.