From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami on Thursday, assured that he was working assiduously to improve internet speed and reduce its cost in Nigeria, using the National Broadband Plan 2020 – 2025.
Pantami said this was because digital connectivity and expanding access to information play a role in enhancing the economy. The Minister spoke at the unveiling of his book titled: “Skills Rather than Degrees Book” and the Launch of Broadband Infrastructure Projects organised by the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) in Abuja.
According to him, “Today we are launching projects to support broadband connectivity in Nigeria and this is an important part of the digital economy. In the world today, the digital economy is firmly entrenched to be a core driver of global growth. It is the single most important driver of innovation.
“Digital connectivity and expanding access to information play a role in enhancing the economy. For example, according to a 2019 Report, the World Bank estimates that an increase in the digitally connected people across the globe to 75percent would result in an addition of up to US$2 trillion dollars per year to world GDP and a creation of about 140 million jobs. Similarly, a report by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation states that 80percent of economic benefits in developing countries are as a result of the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and digital skills, while in developed countries, it is even higher at 90percent.”
“The new broadband plan seeks to deliver data download speeds across Nigeria at a minimum of 25Mbps in urban areas, and 10Mbps in rural areas, with effective coverage available to at least 90percent of the population and penetration rate of 70 percent by 2025 at a price not more than N390 per 1GB of data (2% of median income or 1% of minimum wage).”
He further noted that a lot still needed to be done to bridge the connectivity gap both globally and in Nigeria. He said: “For example, according to a July 2022 Report by DataReportal, it was estimated that only about 5.03 billion people around the world use the Internet. This means that close to 36percent of the global population do not have digital access.