The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it is committed to achieving the 30 per cent approved National Broadband Implementation Plan by 2018.
Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta said this at the Nigeria Digital Innovation Conference held in Ibadan last week Wednesday.
The Tide source reports that the conference is sponsored by Centre for Cyber Awareness and Development (CECAD) in conjunction with Federal Ministry of Communication and NCC.
The theme of the conference is: “Building a New Nigeria in Digital Economy: Policy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship.’’
Danbatta, who was represented by NCC Head of Public Affairs, Mr Reuben Muoka, said that the plan was part of the 8-point agenda conceptualised for comprehensive national economic growth.
He said that Nigeria’s broadband penetration was empirically adjudged by the global telecom regulator, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), as 21 per cent in 2017. no
“We have witnessed the success of online shopping malls, online banking and other transactions in a way that it is being experienced in far more developed countries.
“We are supporting ICT innovations in our institutions of higher learning and among several youth organisations across the country, ’’ he said.
Danbatta said that the Commission had taken the agenda as its guide in measuring regulatory impact and aligning development agenda in the course of regulating one of Africa’s biggest telecom market.
The Executive Vice Chairman said that the NCC would not relent in its effort at promoting investment opportunities and selling the country’s investment potentials to the international telecom community.
The NCC boss also said that the toll free 622 secondary consumer complaints initiative had been upgraded, adding that the success rate of resolution of consumer complaints on the platform had reached 75 per cent.
“We have intensified our monitoring and compliance activities to achieve sanity and compliance to the rules of the game.
“We are in the process of introducing a mandatory corporate governance code to improve the level of integrity of the industry,’’ he said.
Also speaking, Executive Director, Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN), Mr Gbenga Sesan, said that lack of commitment to innovative ideas accounted for the 56 per cent unemployment rate in the country.
Sesan, who recalled how he made headway through strong innovation in 1997, charged students to stop giving excuses, saying such could limit their future.
“I don’t think there is a reason for any student to graduate without a skill with the presence of the internet. Stop complaining about government.
Source: http://www.thetidenewsonline.com/2017/09/25/ncc-reassures-on-broadband-penetration-target/