Nigeria’s Ministry of Communication Technology will hold the third stakeholders forum in Lagos tomorrow with the theme “Connected for Growth”, as it looks to speed up its broadband penetration plans.
Efem Nkanga, minister Omobola Johnson’s media assistant, said in a department statement the forum is a fulfillment of the promise made by the minister to work with stakeholders in the industry as it tries to transform the sector.
It follows meetings in September 2011 and March 2012.
The ministry’s latest achievement was the official presentation of the work of the Presidential Committee on Broadband Strategy and Roadmap to President Goodluck Jonathan on May 30, 2013.
The statement added: “The Ministry’s National ICT Policy identifies ubiquitous and affordable broadband for all Nigerians as one of its several priority areas. The target set by the National ICT policy is to achieve a five-fold increase in broadband penetration to 30 per cent over the 2012 penetration rate of 6 per cent.
“The Policy aims to achieve this by accelerating the penetration of reasonably priced broadband internet in the country, foster broadband usage for national development and ensure the rapid development of a broadband policy support and implementation framework.”
Receiving the report, the president described broadband access and internet technologies as a key enabler of socio-economic growth and enabler of a fully knowledge-based economy.
HumanIPO will be reporting from the forum tomorrow.
