The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing has hailed the efforts made so far by Nigeria to provide inclusive digital access to millions of its citizens, as the world relies more heavily on internet connectivity as a result of the ravaging Covid-19 pandemic.
The High Commissioner, who stated this yesterday at the virtual first Nigeria Technical Conference on the Right of Way (RoW), added that such progress has brought about substantial digital inequities as can be seen in basic necessities such as health, education and work.
“Nigeria has seen great progress in the effort to provide inclusive digital access to millions of its citizens. The COVID19 pandemic has, however, made the world rely more heavily on internet connectivity for access to basic necessities – health, education, work, shopping, convenience and other services. As such, substantial digital inequities have been revealed,” he said.
He said the UK is keen to support the promotion of affordable, inclusive, safe and secure digital access for underserved or excluded populations, stressing that the conference on is a significant step to discuss the technical findings of its preliminary study, outcomes, lingering challenges and the way forward. “I hope that today’s deliberation will culminate into an increased digital inclusion as a basis for a more thriving local tech ecosystem, generating skilled jobs and innovative solutions for local development challenges,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Communications Commission, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta has revealed that the support from the UK Government will go a long way in championing reforms on RoW to deepen digital inclusion in Nigeria.
“The Technical Assistance on RoW reforms will assist in our quest for deepening broadband penetration in Nigeria. NCC is willing and ready to advance the reforms noted in the technical study and will collaborate with stakeholders to affect it in the short, medium and long term,” Danbatta, who was represented by Mr. Adeleke Adewolu, Executive Commissioner Stakeholder Management at NCC said.
The British Government through its Prosperity Fund’s Digital Access Programme, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the Digital Access Programme had hosted the first Nigeria Technical Conference on RoW) to further aggregate views from key stakeholders, towards the advancement of policy and regulatory reforms on Right of Way (RoW) and Issuance of Planning permits for Mast and Towers.
The virtual forum is one of the key deliverables of the UK’s Technical Assistance project on RoW, which was initiated in April 2020 to assess the existing strategy, charging regime and measure that against economic development indicators.
Funded and overseen by the Digital Access Programme, Greenfields Law, a leading telecom policy, law and regulation firm in Nigeria had engaged with key stakeholders and proposed effective solutions based on the evidence gathered, while taking into account international best practice.