Committee 2020-2025.
The report was presented to him in his office by the Chairman of the
Committee, Ms Funke Opeke, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), MainOne Cable.
The Committee is co-chaired by Dr. Bashir Gwandu, former Executive
Commissioner Technical Services at NCC, while Engr. Ubale Maska, NCC’s
Executive Commissioner Technical Services is the Secretary of the
Committe.
In attendance at the presentation ceremony today were members of the
Committee. The Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of NCC, Prof. Danbatta
was also present at the event.
Dr. Pantami inaugurated the Committee on 16 December 2019 to develop a
new National Broadband Plan 2020-2025 that will be a guiding template
for further development of the telecommunications sector.
This followed the expiration of the 2013-2018 National Broadband Plan
which was designed to achieve at least 30 percent broadband penetration
in Nigeria. At the expiration of the old Plan, Nigeria achieved 37.8
percent broadband coverage.
At the inauguration of the new NBP Committee, Pantami also urged the
members to review the old plan, examine its challenges and proffer
solutions. He equally urged the committee to undertake the assignment in
the context of growing and emerging technologies.
The new broadband plan, being developed with the support and
collaboration of the Government of the United Kingdom (UK), is expected
to increase broadband penetration to 70 percent by 2025 in order to give
concrete expression to Federal Government’s commitment to making Nigeria
a truly digital economy.
It will be recalled that on January 3, 2020, while engaging the Nigerian
press at a Media Briefing and Chat, Dr. Pantami promised that the report
of the new NBP Committee will be ready in the first quarter of the year
2020.
