Following the timely submission of the National Broadband Plan 2020-2025 by the committee inaugurated last year December, Digital Economy Media Support Volunteers’ (DEMS Volunteers’), a non-governmental group leading nationwide awareness/campaigns on Digital Economy, has commended the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), saying the implementation of the report, will speed up the Digital Economy quest of the federal government.
The Nigerian Government had through the Minister inaugurated the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NBP) Committee for the Development of the 2020-2025 National Broadband Plan for Nigeria. The essence is to foster the growth of a Digital Economy and to achieve 70 percent broadband penetration by the year 2025,
The Director-General, DEMS Volunteers, Prince Stan Okenwa, in a Press Statement at the weekend, noted that the recent submission of a National Broadband Plan 2020-2025 report in less than three months the steering committee was inaugurated is another confirmation that Dr. Pantami is on a fast lane hence the industry should rally round him to achieve the goals.
DEMS Volunteers also lauded the Committee Chaired by the MD/CEO, MainOne, Ms Funke Opeke and Co-Chaired by the former Executive Commissioner Technical Services at NCC, Dr. Bashir Gwandu, while NCC’s Executive Commissioner Technical Services, Engr. Ubale Maska, served as the Secretary of the Committee.
Prince Okenwa said that the Committee proved themselves worthy of the national assignment by ensuring the report was not delayed but delivered on record time.
“We followed up the progress report while the NBP Committee was on course for two months; deliberating on issues as they relate to the national broadband, with focus on how to penetrate the underserved and unserved areas in the country and drive the Nigerian digital economy. At some points, the Minister, out of his tight schedules, paid them to visit and took notes of progress and areas of concern raised. This is commendable,” the statement noted.
Recall that the Minister was at the 2020 – 2025 National Broadband Planning Committee Meeting, which held on the 5th of February 2020 and on the 18th of February 2020, the Committee submitted its draft report.
“This is commendable and shows that the Minister is not operating as an armed-chair executive, but a determined achiever. The NBP holds a critical place in the nation’s economic drives. Without adequate broadband, telemedicine won’t happen, smart transportation, seamless fintech, eLearning, eCommerce, eGovernance, and other multiplier effects would become mere thoughts on paper.
“Therefore, we call on the Minister not to relent, but to ensure the immediate critical study of the recommendation for swift implementation. By doing that, we would have solved enormous challenges faced by the economy and further unleash new windows for multiple job creation and revenue generation in the country.”