NIGERIA. Abuja: The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Pantami said that internet services are economical as it is essential to the economic development of Nigeria.
Pantami disclosed this during a virtual meeting at the 10th edition of the Nigeria Internet Governance Forum (NIGF 2021), organized by Nigeria Internet Governance Forum Multistakeholder Advisory Group (NIGF-MAG), headed by the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) in Abuja.
The theme of the event was: “Internet That Works For All”, with other themes in the areas like accessibility, infrastructure, policy and regulation, and capacity building and development.
About the Programme
The programme is a way to bring both private and public sectors together to achieve the aims and objectives of the organizations.
Pantami added that most activities on social media would have been interrupted without the use of the internet.
“The Internet is no longer a solace, it has become a prerequisite to economic development.
“It is a prerequisite to saving a nation, it also becomes a prerequisite to governance activities. It is a forum that brings the public, and the private sector together”, Pantami said.
He further said that the internet is mostly used for socialisation and is also an important element for strengthening the economy.
Pantami also said that it had become very necessary to discuss and implement the internet that works for all.
5G Network
Pantami then advised Nigerians to take precautionary measures on the use of the proposed fifth Generation (5G) Technology against the unity of the nation.
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“The 5G network will help in influencing rightly in the areas of education, health, security management, governance and other productive sectors, rather than to be used as a tool for disunity of this country,” Pantami added.
According to Pantami, spectrum is provided for 5G deployment and will be made available by the council of NCC that will, in turn, enforce it in Nigeria while ensuring that it reaches all the users.
“Nigeria will have access to a 5G network which is 20 times faster and stronger than the 4G network that is in use now. This will enhance broadband penetration and also speed”, he said.
The Executive Vice-Chairman of NCC, Professor Umar Danbatta in his address, said that the internet is the hope of everyone.
Danbatta noted that the internet is an important aspect of people’s day today activities since the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
“The Internet is controlled through a collaborative approach of multi-stakeholder, in which everyone who has access to the internet needs to participate in securing it.
“Safety the Internet is not only about rule and sharing of internet opportunities, but it also has to do with primary questions of social, cultural and economic engagement in a digital space,” Danbatta said.
The result of the NIGF 2021 is anticipated to build understanding between stakeholders on applicable ways for both state and non-state actors in the internet system.
Therefore, it focuses on engaging the multi-stakeholder nature of the forum to handle and the entirety of the creative ideas towards thinking on the national Digital Economy policies by the Nigerian government.
