UK to develop new national broadband plan for Nigeria

The British government, through the Prosperity Fund’s Digital Access Programme, is collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy to develop a new six-year National Broadband Development Plan. The previous National Broadband Plan (2013 -2018) expired on December 31, 2018.

The project will require a mix of technical expertise for supporting the drafting of the plan, conducting outreach activities and facilitating technical retreats as well as related events for stakeholder engagement, officials from the countries said yesterday.

These activities will generate essential inputs for the process of drafting a robust plan that will be implementable and will usher-in broad economic development, they added.

Speaking during the Letter of Intent signing at the Federal Ministry of Communications Headquarters in Abuja, the British Deputy High Commissioner, Ms Harriet Thompson, said, “This project contributes to the UK government’s Prosperity Fund objective of promoting inclusive, affordable, accessible, safe and secure internet access for the socioeconomic development of underserved communities in Nigeria” The Head of the UK Government’s Digital Access Programme, Mr. Idongesit Udoh, said the new broadband plan is expected to raise the broadband penetration level in Nigeria to between 65% - 66% over the next six years. It will also provide national leadership and strategic sectoral direction for country-wide broadband connectivity and provide a basis for a more thriving digital ecosystem and inclusive economic development.

The project is expected to be concluded by March 31, 2020. The Minister for Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, welcomed the partnership and expressed appreciation for the UK government’s support in growing Nigeria’s tech ecosystem which will in turn grow the Nigerian economy.

Dr. Pantami said the tech sector in Nigeria is adding more to the Nigerian economy and expressed optimism that the new broadband plan when developed and implemented would promote inclusive economic growth in Nigeria.