After a critical appraisal of telecommunications and ICT infrastructure penetration among the Nigerian population and geography in the past eight years, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Engr. Ernest Ndukwe, last weekend in Kaduna, declared that Nigeria has achieved about 80% phone penetration across its huge population centres.
Engr. Ndukwe who spoke at a public lecture organized by the Arewa Youth Forum at Asaa Pyramid Hotel, Kaduna on Saturday, said over 10,000 km of Fibre optic links have been laid across the country while some operators are already rolling out 3G services. Providing a score card of Nigeria’s telecom development milestone in a lecture chaired by the 2nd Republic Minister of Transport and Aviation, Alhaji Umaru Dikko, and titled “ICT as an Effective Tool for Development in Nigeria”, Engr. Ndukwe said the Government of Nigeria has been conscious of the role telecommunications can play in national development and has therefore been committed over the last eight years to ensuring that telecommunications facilities and services are expanded rapidly.
“Since the democratic governance was ushered in on the 29th of May 1999, the attention of the world returned to Nigeria as the country with the highest potential for investment on the continent and over $12 billion US dollars has been invested by December 2007”, he said.
He commended the Arewa Youth Forum for the initiative in choosing the thee of the lecture to focus on ICT to consideration in their 7-Point Agenda Lecture Series, and promised that the would continue to encourage and participate in events that promote awareness on the importance of Information and Communications Technologies in national development.
Dr. Tanimu Yakubu Kurfi, the Chief Economic Adviser to President Yar’Adua, who was represented by Alhaji Waziri Haruna Ahmadu, his special adviser, discussed the Presidential 7-Point Agenda and the Challenges associated with it and government’s commitment towards realizing the principal objectives of this critical success factor in national development.
Speaking further on the role of ICT for national development, Engr Ndukwe who also received a special National Development Merit Award by the Arewa Youth Forum at the well attended event, asserted that today, daily activities in Nigeria such as shopping, entertainment, banking, manufacturing, office work, education, medical care, governance and even commuting have become increasingly dependent on information and communications networks.
“The rapid deployment of digital mobile services across the country and speed at which they are being subscribed to, has demonstrated the importance of ICT services to the people.
“Access to telecommunications and information technology holds the key to the nation’s ability to respond to the demands of its position in the new world order” adding that “access to modern telecommunications services should necessarily be within easy reach of every person that lives within the shores of Nigeria.”
He said government is conscious of the role ICTs can play in national development and is therefore committed to ensuring that ICT facilities and services are expanded rapidly, and that the Nigerian Communications Commission is committed to ensuring a regulatory environment that will continue accelerating the creation of a robust, pervasive and ubiquitous Information and Communications Technology infrastructure across the nation in the next few years.
“In the new world order that is driven by knowledge and exchange of information and ideas, surviving in today’s information age therefore depends on access to national and global information technology networks”, he concluded.
President of the Arewa Youth Forum, Alhaji Gambo Gujungu, commended Engr. Ndukwe for taking off time to come to the north to educate the youth on the role ICT would play in the development of the country.
He said the forum and the entire north is impressed with the positive impact that the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, under the leadership of Engr. Ndukwe has made in the development of this nation, hence, the consideration to recognize him with the merit award of the forum whose membership spreads across the 19 northern states of the country.
Tribune
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