The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ibrahim Pantami, has assured that Nigeria has a proactive regulatory framework that is capable of addressing challenges associated with emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT).
The Minister, who gave the assurance in Lagos yesterday today at a Stakeholders Consultative Forum on Regulatory Roadmap for IoT Ecosystem in Nigeria, hosted by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), declared that Nigeria has already exhibited its preparedness to harness the potential of this new services, as demonstrated in the reduction in incidences of cybercrimes in Nigeria over the past two years.
“Nigeria’s telecom regulatory framework has been designed to address the challenges that may arrive with the advancement of the Internet of Things (IoT) in the country,” he assured.
He emphasized the need for the type of consultations and brainstorming being hosted for IoT, as the International Data Cooperation (IDC) revealed, “By 2025, there will be about 46.1 billion IoT devices that are going to be interconnected globally…and through this connection, the data to be generated will be up to 79.4 zeta bites.
At a gathering that featured presentations by local and international experts, with the Secretary of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Houlin Zhao, in virtual participation, Pantami said IoT is crucial to present-day emergent technologies considering its connectedness to devices in facilitating productivity, minimize waste as well as ensure a faster decision-making process where a massive amount of data can be analysed and presented for decision making.
Earlier in an address of welcome, the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, explained that, in the process of undertaking its responsibility of regulation, the NCC has made it a consistent practice to interact with experts and key players in the industry on how best to facilitate the development of robust regulations for emergent technologies in the country.
Danbatta said this consultation presents a unique opportunity to appraise the emergence and future deployment of IoT products and services for the benefit of consumers in Nigeria.