Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, on Thursday revealed that Nigeria is home to 82% of Africa’s telecom subscribers and 29% of the continent’s internet consumers.
Danbatta made the disclosure while delivering his opening address at the Emerging Technology Forum for the Telecommunications Industry held in Lagos.
The NCC EVC who was represented at the forum by NCC’s Director of Spectrum Administration, Engr. Abraham Oshadami, however noted that Nigeria still requires even higher connectivity, reliability, and accessibility standards. “The surge in data utilisation, the proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT), the advent of artificial intelligence, and the emergence of cutting-edge technologies highlight the urgent need for ongoing network surveillance and expansion”, he noted.
Danbatta described the forum as important as conversations about new technologies, collaborating with global best practices and subject-matter experts, and pooling our insights, is still very much needed.
He said: “The global data collected by the NRI team reveals that digital transformation is a global imperative in order to maximize the social and economic effects of the digital era. It can create new inequalities which can hinder the ability of younger generations to engage in the digital economy, but also remains a powerful way to do more with less at all levels of income. Formal education is evolving, and metrics are important to support informed policymaking. This requires reskilling and upskilling opportunities to be available, accessible, and affordable in order to have more inclusive and sustainable economies and societies.
“Nigeria is a telecommunications powerhouse, with 82% of the continent’s telecom subscribers and 29% of the continent’s internet consumption. Our nation rates eleventh globally in terms of internet penetration and seventh in terms of mobile phone usage. Despite these remarkable metrics, the fact that our Network Readiness Index (NRI) ranking for 2022 is 109th out of 131 countries is both humbling and challenging?
“The NRI is a guiding metric that measures the role and impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). It explores the performances of 131 economies in four key categories: technology (infrastructure), governance, people, and impact. As agents of social and economic transformation in our nation, prioritizing network readiness is not only a strategic necessity but a mandate”.
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