The federal government has concluded its plans on a comprehensive roadmap to attain affordable internet and broadband services across the country.
The roadmap would also address underserved and unserved
communities in rural areas and places affected by security challenges,
especially in Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states and about 300 communities across
Nigeria.
The Minister of Communications, Innovations and Digital
Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani is spearheading the drive with telecom stakeholders
and regulatory bodies to improve and accelerate broadband penetration beyond
the current 45.5 percent.
But telecom companies have also complained of multiple
taxation/levies, access to foreign exchange and the challenges associated with
Right of Way (RoW) as critical areas to be addressed for the government
approach to yield the desired results as soon as possible.
Dr Tijani has been largely quiet in pursuing his agenda for
the ministry, insisting that it should be in tandem with the Renewed Hope
Agenda of President Bola Tinubu to create jobs, wealth and reduce poverty.
A document emanating from the office of the minister showed
that for the first quarter of 2024, the Minister approved the launch of an
initiative to boost broadband development and adoption in Edo, Ogun, Kwara,
Katsina, Imo, Abia, Borno, and Nasarawa states.
Katsina, Kwara and Edo states have zero charges for RoW,
making it possible for telecom companies to lay fibre optic cables and install
infrastructures seamlessly.
Our correspondent gathered that the minister’s initiative
called the National Broadband Alliance for Nigeria is aimed at solving
low-fibre network rollout in the country.
According to the document titled, ‘Broadband Access for All:
Introduction Deepening Nigeria’s National Backbone and Middle Mile
Infrastructure,’
Tijani suggested a multi-stakeholder approach to the
challenges of developing telecom infrastructures across the country.
The initiative explained ways by which Nigeria would achieve
unprecedented benefits from internet/broadband services in speed, reliability,
and future scaling.
It maintained that such could be achieved when Nigeria build
modern broadband infrastructures.
The document made references to the 2019 Broadband Plan,
which says the country needs at least 120,000km of fibre optic cables to
achieve its coverage goal.
The document reads in part: “To tackle the low and
non-consumption challenge and its resultant poor ROI in a nationwide fibre
network, the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy has
initiated a National Broadband Alliance for Nigeria to foster collaboration for
broadband development and adoption, as well as position Nigeria at the
forefront of the global digital landscape.
“Recognising the imperativeness of broadband in economic
development, the alliance will bring together key stakeholders from the public
and private sectors, as well as civil society, to collaboratively develop a
sustainable business model(s) for driving the adoption and consumption of
Internet in key critical public institutions (schools, hospitals, government
offices, libraries and markets etc.) across the nation.
“It will also drive digital inclusion and awareness to
ensure the inclusion of all segments of society in the digital economy and
benefit from the advantages of broadband connectivity.
“The pilot of this initiative will kick off in 7 states of
the country before the end of Q1 2024. The initial states are Edo, Ogun, Kwara,
Katsina, Imo, Abia, Borno and Nasarawa.
“These initial states have been considered using their present broadband investment and management of fibre optic challenges in their respective states such as such as waiver of the Right of Way fee.”