TECHDIGEST- The Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Ltd. has been tasked by the 10th National Regular Council Meeting on Communications and Digital Economy (NCCDE) with using its mandate as the only indigenous provider of communication satellite solutions to expand digital literacy programs to rural Nigeria.

The meeting, according to Dr. Abimbola Alale, Managing Director of NIGCOMSAT Ltd., set the agenda for clearly stated plans to advance the industry. A total of 111 memos were submitted to the meeting, out of which 77 were taken into consideration and 34 were withdrawn. The meeting was presided over by Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, and Dr. William Alo, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.

READASLSO: PHOTOS: In America, Pantami announces Space X broadband partnership; signs Artemis Accords at US-Africa Leaders’ Forum

Recently, the NCCDE was held in Ibadan, Oyo state. The NCCDE is the highest-ranking organization in the nation for communications and the digital economy. The Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy is in charge of it, which is made up of commissioners and representatives of state governments, board chairmen, and chief executives of parastatals.

This year meeting was held under the theme: ‘Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship as a Panacea for Challenges to Sustainable Economic Development in Nigeria.’ It was declared opened by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of Oyo state, Mrs. Olubamiwo Adeosun.

A total of 111 memos were submitted to the meeting, out of which 77 were taken into consideration and 34 were withdrawn. The meeting was presided over by Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, and Dr. William Alo, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy. The meeting, according to Dr. Abimbola Alale, Managing Director of NIGCOMSAT Ltd., set the agenda for clearly stated plans to advance the industry.

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TECHDIGEST- Project Coordinator of the Nigeria Digital Identification for Development (ID4D) project, Musa Odole Solomon says Nigeria’s Honourable Minister for Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Pantami is worth celebrating.

Solomon stated this while joining friends and well wishers to extend goodwill messages to the Honourable Minister, as he adds another year to his life.

READALSO: Pantami Launches Partnership with Coursera to Offer 24,000 Nigerians Digital Skills

In a Press Release by the Nigeria Digital ID4D Communications Manager, Dr. Walter Duru and made available to newsmen in Abuja, Thursday morning, Solomon paid glowing tributes to the Honourable Minister, describing him as a great leader.

According to him, “the Honourable Minister is a leader with humility of heart and fear of God. His digital economy revolution has placed Nigeria on the global map, while occupying a leadership position in Africa. His role in promoting the Nigeria Digital Identification project has given us great mileage. As Minister for Communications and Digital Economy, he has shown capacity and competence. He has shown great leadership and we are proud to identify with him. As he clocks the golden age of 50, we pray for God’s special blessings upon him.”

He extolled the Honourable Minister for his legacies, especially, in digital identification, which is an important pillar of every digital economy.

Solomon prayed to God to continue to bless him with good health and many more fruitful years, even as he rendered more services to God and humanity.

Walter Duru, Ph.D
Manager, Communications
Nigeria Digital ID4D Project
October 20, 2022

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TECH DIGEST – Over one year after the 36 state governors agreed to implement the unified rate of N145 per linear metre fee for Right of Way (RoW) in the laying of fibre optic cables for broadband deployment, 29 states have refused to implement the agreement, a situation that is slowing down the pace of broadband deployment and penetration in the country.

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ibrahim Pantami, who delivered the keynote address at a recent virtual stakeholders’ forum, organised by the Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), said few days ago, the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, gave his consent in writing, to begin the implementation of the agreement in the state.

The recent development would take the total number of states implementing the new RoW fee to seven, which includes: Kaduna, Katsina, Plateau, Ekiti, Kwara, Anambra and Imo.

Worried about the development, Pantami appealed to the 29 state governors to consider implementing the new rate as earlier agreed, to enable Nigeria meet its 70 per cent broadband penetration target by 2025, as enshrined in the 2020-2025 Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP).

According to the Minister, he had engaged with the members of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), facilitated by its chairman, the Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, on the 22nd of January 2020, and they agreed on the unified rate.

“At that meeting, I made a presentation on the benefits of broadband and requested the buy-in of the governors for the implementation of Broadband Plan and the Digital Economy Policy for a Digital Nigeria, and the governors unanimously agreed to adopt a maximum of N145/linear metre.

“Some of the governors have even waived this amount altogether. Many of the governors have begun full implementation and some have notified us in writing.

“We received reports that some states have introduced some extraneous charges that have increased the charges beyond the amount agreed. We are discussing with states involved in such cases, with a view to addressing the disparity,” Pantami said.

Before the January 2020 meeting there was disparity in the fees charged by state governors in their respective states, which range between N500 to N6,000 per linear metre.

Pantami’s keynote address, which focused on the importance of broadband in national development, also assessed the level of broadband penetration in the country and how to achieve the country’s broadband strategies, which seek to deliver data download speeds across Nigeria at a minimum of 25Mbps in urban areas, and 10Mbps in rural areas, with effective coverage available to at least 90 per cent of the population and penetration rate of 70 per cent by 2025 at a price not more than N390 per 1GB of data.

The NNBP also targets the deployment of nationwide fibre coverage to reach all state capitals, and provision of a point of presence in at least 90 per cent of local government headquarters. It also targets tertiary educational institutions, major hospitals in each state and fibre connectivity at statutory rates of N145/meter for Right of Way (RoW).

President of ATCON, Ikechukwu Nnamani, in his opening remarks, said: “The development of a solid digital economy rests on the foundation of a well distributed broadband infrastructure and involves the convergence of all technology types and classes of service.

“To this end we have brought together key industry leaders cutting across the nine sub-group of ATCON’s membership to discuss and strategise with the leadership of the public sector on the best ways to achieve an accelerated implementation of the Nigerian National Broadband Plan.”

Chairman of MTN Board of Directors, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, said the private sector must be actively engaged in achieving the Nigerian National Broadband Plan, because broadband is the driver of economic growth and development. He stressed the need for more telecoms infrastructure rollout by telecoms operators and the need for funding of broadband rollout in rural areas by government.

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TECH DIGEST – Last week was quite an eventful one for the ICT sector in Nigeria beyond the announcement of paternity leave granted to staff of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

The action-packed week became even more thrilling, going by the plethora of heartwarming news emanating from the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and some of its key agencies under the supervision of the Minister, Dr. Isa Pantami.

Apart from NITDA, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT), Galaxy BackBone, and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), all have a common thread binding them together.

The agencies received a huge boost to redouble their efforts towards the delivery of a successful Digital Nigeria Programme, one of President Buhari-led government’s key initiatives geared to empower innovators and entrepreneurs with skills required to thrive in the country’s emerging digital economy.

The six agencies are responsible for empowering Nigerians to develop skills and build innovative solutions to tackle challenges within our local environment.

As the minister in charge of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami has demonstrated consistency in galvanising all agencies under his supervision to implement people-oriented projects to advance the digital economy agenda of the Federal Government.

It was a week the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Professor Garba Umar Danbatta presented the newly elected Executive Secretary of West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA), Engineer Aboki  to the Honourable Minister. Nigerian’s nominee for the post was endorsed by the minister strictly on the basis of merit, considering his proven expertise and skills in the sector.

Pantami’s advocacy for the improved condition of service of staff in all agencies under his Ministry became a reality when he personally presented the new scheme of service for NITDA, as approved by the Federal Government, to the management and staff of the agency.

In an interview with Economic Confidential sometime in September 2020, Pantami had spoken on the need for government to give adequate budgetary allocation to agencies that generate more revenue.

He said: “We have been generating more funds and revenue for the government. So, any institution that has been generating more revenue for the government should be encouraged to do more by adequate budgetary provisions. I have been agitating for that, that any sector doing well should be supported by giving them more funds.”

Presenting the new Employee-Centric Condition and Scheme of Service, the minister explained that the document presents a comprehensive approach to the development of NITDA and the wellbeing of employees and the approved skills and certifications required for appointment and promotion in the agency.

Henceforth, NITDA workers are entitled to numerous benefits, key among them being transfer benefits, home ownership loans, compassionate leave and paternity leave, which have been described as novelties.

But that was just the tip of a most eventful week of good tidings in the ICT sector.

A major event was the announcement that President Buhari has approved N5 billion as the capital budget for the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to enable it deliver on the national digital economy project, with appropriate infrastructures, and attractive conditions of service.

The approval showed an upward review of the capital budget of NIMC from between the a meagerly N500 million and N700 million in the previous years to about N5 billion this year as part of the President’s commitments to digitising the economy.

As if that was not enough within the week, the minister broke the cheery news that the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) has been authorised to collect stamp duty after it initial feud with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) on the same last year.

The minister had decried the unfair treatment meted to NIPOST and swore to pursue the issue by reporting to the minister of Finance, the Attorney General of the Federation, and the President.

Until the latest development, NIPOST carried the burden of over 12,000 staff and was unable to fix its dilapidated offices spread across the country because it had not received any capital budget for several years.

In the same interview quoted above, the minister had said that “I am not worried about some institutions collecting money. It is just that I cannot stand injustice. And it is my nature that I always fight for the oppressed. So, what provoked me is the injustice.”

Indeed, Pantami’s vision, zeal for excellence, and leadership style has reinforced the synergy and cooperation between the Ministry and its agencies in creating a robust digital economy for enhanced diversification of the nation’s revenue-earning resources.

From the foregoing, in the last one week, the operations and structure of agencies under the ministerial supervision of Dr. Pantami have witnessed tremendous adjustments and proper repositioning to function as valuable players and partners in the development of Nigeria’s evolving digital economy.

For the benefitting agencies, these newly introduced incentives should serve as additional stimulus for them to redouble their commitment and effort in fulfilling the country’s vision of emerging as a leading player in the global digital economy.

Inyene Ibanga, Managing Editor of TechDigest writes from Wuye District Abuja, Nigeria

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TECH DIGEST – The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta is set to deliver the keynote address at this year’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the West African Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA).

In a statement signed by Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Director of Public Affairs at NCC, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami will deliver the opening address at the AGM scheduled to take place from March 10-11, 2021 in Abuja.

WATRA is a platform that provides opportunity for telecoms regulators in West Africa to take important decisions, including the adoption of activities report, programmes, budget for the Executive Secretariat, as well as the renewal of the organisation’s governing bodies.

Meanwhile, Nigeria is fielding Mr. Aliyu Yusuf Aboki, as a candidate for the position of Executive Officer in WATRA. In the last 17 years, Aboki has worked in the Information Communication sector and has the lofty agenda to work with member state regulators and other stakeholders to make WATRA play a more strategic role in shaping the regulation of telecoms sector in the sub- region.

Established in November 2004 with headquarters in Abuja, WATRA has become an important regional organisation within the African and global telecommunications ecosystem, with current membership consisting of independent National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) across 16 countries including Nigeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire. Others include, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

As a regional telecoms organisation, WATRA is a consultative and collaborative body of Telecommunications Regulators in the West African sub-region to aid and advance development of telecommunications in the sub region and ultimately in Africa. The Assembly also collaborates and cooperates with other regional and international organisations towards the attainment of its mission to ensure the rapid development of telecommunications in the sub region.

The association also promotes the establishment of modern legal and regulatory structures for telecommunications and seeks the development of harmonisation of regulations for telecommunications service delivery and pricing in all countries in the sub-region.

WATRA is poised to work towards the attainment of a uniform telecommunications service standard in the sub-region and the adoption of a uniform technical quality standard for telecommunication applications and equipment employed in the sub-region. It also initiates, encourages and supports human resource and capacity building efforts aimed at redressing the shortage of indigenous skills, competencies and capabilities in emerging information and communications technologies in the sub region.

WATRA comprises of three institutions namely: The Conference of Regulator, The Executive Committee and The Secretariat. The Secretariat is the Administrative organ of WATRA while The Conference of Regulators is the supreme decision-making body and the main authority of WATRA.

The Conference of Regulators meets, at least, once a year in a General Assembly to define the general policy framework, set the objectives including approving the budget and receiving the report of the auditor.

Speaking at a pre-conference meeting, the EVC NCC, Danbatta expressed optimism that this year’s annual general meeting will live up to expectations as Nigeria looks forward to clinching the top job at the regional body.

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