ICT experts are concerned about Nigeria’s disinterest in the Internet.
Speaking at the annual Digital Sense Africa Forum held in Lagos during 17-18 April, Ibukun Odusote, former chairperson of the Presidential Inter-Ministerial Committee on the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) and Permanent Secretary, Nigeria Ecological Fund said the country needs massive, cheap high speed Internet to further progress and improve the country’s access to connectivity.
“The global average broadband penetration is 30 per cent. But in Nigeria we have one per cent broadband penetration out of the estimated seven per cent of internet access, but what is this compared to the US, South Korea and global broadband penetration?”, argued Lanre Ajayi, President, Nigeria Internet Group (NIG), quoted by SA’s Business Day publication.
Ajayi drew a comparison to nations like United States and South Korea, where broadband penetration had grown to 53% and 90% per cent respectively.
“We are not internet hungry. There is need for active participation both as a nation and as individuals to change the perception from the negative use of the internet to the positive”, commented the chairman of the 2010 forum and president, Internet Service Providers Association (ISPAN), Samuel Adeleke.
The event addressed poor Internet usage in the country, the increase in cyber crimes and the importance of e-governance in Nigeria. Executive Director of Operations, DSA, Nkemdilim Nweke, said progress is still slow, however the sale of 2.3 GHz spectrum, was described as a victory for democracy in Nigeria. He also noted that the recent undersea cables were a strong opportunity for the nation to catch up.
