‘FG committed to bridging broadband deficit’

Ongoing policy directions and regulatory measures being put in place by the Nigerian government towards bridging identified broadband infrastructure gaps will be sustained in order to facilitate increased access to the Internet by the citizens across the country, the government has said.

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, and the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, gave the assurance in their presentations during the virtual African Internet Governance Forum 2021 (vAFIGF2021).

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Pantami, who was represented at the forum by a Director at NCC, who doubles as Adviser to the Minister on Technical Matters, Prof. Sahalu Balarabe Junaidu, said the objective of the forum was to harness digital technology and innovation, transform societies and economies, and eradicate poverty for social and economic development in the Continent. 

The minister asserted that Nigeria, with its current over 140 million internet users, has one of the largest subscriptions in the sub-region.

Meanwhile, the Director, New Media and Information Security, NCC, Dr Al-Hassan Haru, who represented Danbatta at the forum, reiterated the Commission’s commitment to ensuring broadband penetration through stimulating continuous roll-out of broadband infrastructure.