TECH DIGEST- The Federal Government said it would launch a ‘Dig Once’ policy before the end of the year to reduce the cost of broadband infrastructure deployment across the country and ultimately lower the cost of telecom services for consumers.

Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Isa Pantami disclosed this at the fourth edition of the Policy Implementation Assisted Forum (PIAFo) on Dig Once Policy and Fibre Strategy in Nigeria with the theme: Laying the Foundation for Ubiquitous Broadband for Nigeria’s Economic Breakthrough.

He said the policy seeks to promote the installation of ready-made buried fibre conduits for seamless fibre deployment in the country and had received necessary inputs following robust engagements with relevant stakeholders.

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The Minister, who was represented at the event by Engineer Usman Aliyu, Secretary of the Broadband Implementation Steering Committee (BISC) and head of Wireless Network at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), said the policy is a critical element to attaining 70% broadband penetration by 2025.

“Some of the objectives of the policy are provisioning of shared infrastructure for existing internet service providers and entrants, promotion of installation of ready-made buried fibre conduit for broadband deployment, and reduction of the barriers to entry for Internet Service Providers.
“Others are to promote coordination and reduce the number of excavations and disruptions caused due to fibre installation works, to lower the cost of broadband internet service deployment, to promote the joint installation of infrastructures in a single phase and avoid unnecessary future digging as well as encouraging infrastructure, and to promote a unified and affordable pricing regime across the federation for Right of Ways.”
He also noted that once the policy becomes operational in Nigeria, there would be lower costs of repair and maintenance of installed fibre infrastructure and a lower cost of broadband internet service deployment.

Earlier in his remarks, Omobayo Azeez, convener and lead executive of PIAFo, emphasised that fibre is critical to achieving the 70% broadband penetration Nigeria is currently targeting. He said there is a need for all stakeholders, especially state and local governments to embrace and domesticate the policy in their respective states.

“According to the National Broadband Plan, we are targeting a network of 90,000km and 120,000km of non-overlapping fibre infrastructure by 2023 and 2025 respectively from just 40,000km in 2020.
“As of the end of 2021, data by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) indicated that total fibre Optics so far deployed in Nigeria stood at 74,947km, including 47,128.7km on-land and 27,818.3km submarine.
“This indicates that we still have a long way to go to attain pervasive broadband infrastructure that will deliver high-speed internet to power our digital economy dream. However, dedicated efforts on dig once policy will help us to get there faster and with moderated cost implication,” he said.

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TECHDIGEST- Yesterday the news came to me with joy that HE. Mr President Mohammadu Buhari assented to the Nigerian startup bill (NSB) . A lot of work was put into the bill which was an executive bill initiated by the FG and Prof Pantami led the Charge from the FG angle and the OVP, NITDA and other stakeholders including the Young innovators of Nigeria at the various stages of the bill. The NSB now NSA is a very welcome development for the startup innovation ecosystem, it will be recalled that the startup ecosystem was birthed by the pioneer minister for communications Mrs. Omobola Johnson and that initiative was transformed and given the much needed attention from where Mrs. Johnson left it by the current minister for communications and digital economy Prof Isah Ali Ibriahim Pantami . The objective of the bill is to develop an institutional framework for the development of the Nigeria innovation ecosystem. It was signed yesterday by President Buhari to be a startup ACT, which I consider a 50th Birthday gift to Nigerian startups from the Minister of Communications and digital economy, the man who has championed the bill alongside other stakeholder from inception to now. Primarily this ACT now will solidify our Innovation ecosystem by serving as a cushion/ Launchpad for startups to take more innovative risk in developing solutions that can address our challenges, startups don’t need to think about where to access fund and the much needed regulatory and structural framework they need to thrive is provided in this ACT. It is pertinent to note that the ACT made provision for the provision of an enabling environment for the development and operations of startup to enable them compete globally among other peers. This will further foster the development of technology enabled talents to think deep and reposition the Nigeria startup ecosystem as a leading digital technology hub because of the quality of solutions that will be birthed that are globally competitive hence set the country startup ecosystem as one of the leading drivers to achieve the AFICTA goals if we get the implementation right. The era of Pantami has witness many wins for the communications and startup ecosystems because the policies are clear direct and practical to the challenges that needed to be addressed within the digital economy space, hence this addresses one of the pillars or more he has developed for the achievement of the digital economy. The ACT when implementation begin in earnest can create more than 10,000 direct jobs within the first few months that is why I called it a birthday gift from professor, Pantami . this is one of the biggest gift to us in the innovation ecosystem and we are most appreciative to President Buhari and the digital economy champion of Africa our own Professor Pantami for seeing this to the logical conclusion . it is coming a day to the 50th Birthday of our dear minister and I think Mr. President choose the right day to sign the bill to ACT. One of the happiest day for me as a person because I have always compared and advocated for the creation of a ministry of entrepreneurship and digital innovation, now we have a brown new council facilitated by pantami which we go down in Nigeria technology history. The council will be used as a special purpose vehicle for the development and restructuring of the startups in Nigeria, the council will synergize with other agencies of government to support our ecosystem. We all know that seed funding and access to capital remains a huge challenge to our startups and the ACT clearly addressed that , it has an initial 10 billion endowment fund for seed funding. So I see the Federal Government taking direct steps to work with this very important sector we are operating , we have the capacity to lift millions out of poverty within a short time as technology entrepreneurs do everywhere .

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The startup engagement portal is also a critical element in the implementation, I can say the bill was well planned, I had participated in the public hearing and made my inputs but what I am reading as the final act means the government actually listened and all bottlenecks for implementation will be minimized with the final document.

The ACT will further strengthen the support to innovation hubs and accelerators to be the driving house for the development of the much needed skills and human capital development the startups will need to have to thrive.

Its all encompasses from regulatory to tax and fiscal incentives support to the startups from ideation to market stage. What a good time to be a Nigerian startup, so it comes with many opportunities and if we are willing to work hard we will reap all the benefits within a short time. So I salute everyone who have been part of this work.

NITDA pushed so hard for this and the Innovation support network. The Young innovators of Nigeria as an advocacy group that has supported and created platform for Nigerian startups since 2013 is proud to be a supporter of this ACT and is willing to collaborate with government in the implementation of the ACT . This is the beginning of the new era in our industry and we are happy to play a lead role . Once again is happy Birthday to the pioneer digital economy minister prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim FBCS FNCS who has given us this gift of many colors. I wish to join every member of the startup ecosystem in thanking the Honorable minister for this gift while wishing him long life and more opportunities to contribute to the development of Nigeria, we are proud of your achievement and commitment to our growth.

ANDREW ABU. FIMC MNCS MCPN PRESIDENT/FOUNDER YOUNG INNOVATORS OF NIGERIA

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TECHDIGEST- Due to various commitments to information and technical knowledge in societies, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) appointed Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, as Chairman of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) Forum 2022.

Pantami is also claimed to have been involved in the WSIS Process, which is why he was chosen after consultations with numerous parties. The nomination was transmitted to Pantami through a letter from the ITU Secretary-General, according to a statement made by the Technical Assistant to the Minister, Femi Adeluyi.

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“The appointment of Professor Pantami has given Nigeria, and indeed the African continent, the unique role of coordinating the activities of the WSIS in its 20th year, following the WSIS Phase I meeting that occurred in 2003,” Adeluyi said in a statement. “It is clear that the world has taken notice of Nigeria’s digital economy’s giant strides under the Honourable Minister’s supervision.” Prof Pantami expresses his heartfelt gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for his unwavering support for the sector,” he said.

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NEWS DIGEST – The Director-General of the National Information and Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Isa Pantami, on Tuesday, said his agency is ready to deploy ICT tools for the full implementation of e-Government in order to cut down the cost of governance.

According to him, a total embrace of the ICT tools will as well improve national economic growth; enhance access and quality of services as well as render public agencies more transparent and accountable.

Mr Pantami made the assertion on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ engagement on Nigeria e-Government Interoperability Framework, Ne-GIF, organized by NITDA in Abuja.

He said the integration of all governance processes will help the country fight graft by enhancing accountability, transparency and elimination of corruption in the system.

‘‘We recognize the enormity of the responsibilities placed on the Agency as well as the possibilities of IT or e-Government as a development resource for achieving socio-economic transformation.

‘‘e-Government and ICT tools can among other things, cut down the cost of governance, improve national economic growth; enhance access and quality of services as well as render public agencies more transparent and accountable.

‘‘Accordingly, at this information age, going digital for any government is the optimal route to attain Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

‘‘When all governance processes are integrated, you do not need personal contact or see somebody because he treats whatever you apply for.

‘‘It will help eliminate corruption. Without accountability and transparency, we can’t fight corruption.’’

Mr pantami said the aim of the stakeholders’ forum was to review the e-Government Interoperability Framework, Ne-GIF, for efficient service delivery.

The D-G, therefore, said NITDA is committed to change the narrative by working closely with stakeholders to remove existing barriers caused by silo deployment of IT solutions in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government.

‘‘The barriers have made information sharing a nightmare among MDAs. It is an obvious fact that applying information technology (IT) for governance holds tremendous potential to improve the way governments deliver public services.

‘‘It is worthy to note that seamless exchange of Information between various MDAs’ IT infrastructure and applications is critical to cross-portfolio service delivery and public service transformation,” he said.

‘‘We think there is need to come up with a framework. Many nations have their own framework, but Nigeria is yet to have one. It is better than never.

‘‘The Ne-GIF is expected to provide tools, specifications and recommendations that are based on Standards for supporting MDAs in undertaking interoperability of e-government solutions for the provision of cross-portfolio services.

‘‘Leveraging on ICT to ensure seamless information exchange is a prerequisite to achieving ERGP objectives, Sustainable Development Goals by United Nations and attaining our desired Government Digital Transformation Agenda.

“We need to build capacity and ensure the right leadership is provided across MDAs,’’ Mr Pantami noted.

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