Pantami woos state governors on broadband, Obaseki shares experience

By Adeleye Kunle

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, Thursday in Abuja, told a gathering designed for state governors that the potentials of broadband are so enormous that if made available for their citizens, will be the best gift for their economic emancipation.

Pantami told the state governors and their representatives and other industry stakeholders at the maiden edition of Broadband Technical Awareness Forum for Governors (BTAF), organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), where Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, gave an impressive report card about what he has already achieved with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the education sector, and many other sectors of the Edo State economy.

Pantami stated that greater support and collaboration will be required from the State governors towards addressing challenges to broadband infrastructure deployment by the telecom companies, which are expected to deploy required infrastructure to provide broadband services in all nooks and crannies of Nigeria.

“This is because, more than ever before, our security, economic and educational development rely on having state-based broadband structure and framework that will articulate the key targets in the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025, and this is the essence of this forum today,” he said