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| Zenith Bank Nigeria |
The
immediate past Executive Vice-Chairman of National Communications Commission
(NCC), Engr. Ernest Ndukwe and Chairman of Zenith Bank, Mr. Jim Ovia will
co-chair a 14-man presidential committee on five-year broadband penetration
project.
Other
members of the committee, who are drawn from state governments and the private
sector, has three months to complete its assignment. The president also
directed the Ministry of Education to include Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) in the National Education Curricular beginning from primary
school level so as to avail young Nigerians at that level of education early
exposure to the global information highway.
The
president gave the directives at the inauguration ceremony of the high profile
committee in State House Abuja, observing that this was necessary to eradicate
the current trend of late education in ICT which is as a result of the
disadvantage of not getting proper education when they should.
He explained
that the inauguration of the presidential committee is a historical landmark in
his administration's attempt to propel its transformation agenda and the
country into a 21st century economy.
He
enumerated the significance of broadband as an avenue to create new industries,
education delivery, health care provision, energy management, public safety,
government/citizen interaction and the overall organisation and dissemination
of knowledge.
He noted
that broadband access and internet technologies were key enabler of
socio-economic growth and the attainment of a fully knowledgeable based
economy.
The
President pledged that his administration will give necessary support and
encouragement to ICT practitioners in the country to empower collective effort
in attaining the goal of the 21st century economy. "We must therefore
start exposing our children to ICTs to encourage in them familiarity with new
technologies and the desire to develop software programmes and
applications," he said.
According to
him: "It is important to start thinking of how to build a digital economy
particularly in this era of the knowledge economy. The critical factor here is
that we are in the middle of a digital revolution that has seen ICT transform
the global economy.
"ICTs
have changed the way we live, work and learn. In some countries around the
world, including Nigeria, ICTs have even transformed the way citizens
participate in governance," he observed. "To achieve this lofty goal,
it becomes imperative that a proper and feasible plan is articulated. Hence,
government has constituted this committee to develop a comprehensive broadband
roadmap for the country," he explained.
The terms of
reference of the committee include: articulation of acceptable definitions and
perspectives of broadband and related issues that are current and dynamic for
the country, evaluation and analysis of the current position of broadband
infrastructure and service delivery in the country.
It is
also expected to define broadband service in the country and articulate an
agenda for bridging the gap between the "haves" and the "have
nots" within the country and showcasing possible challenges.
Other terms
are: expansion and detailing of additional strategic and tactical approaches
for reinventing the country as a broadband rich digital haven capable of
supporting electronic and mobile architecture for commerce and trade,
empowerment among others; and thereby capable of attracting internal and
external investments for development.
The
committee will also consider and articulate the role of different levels of
government; federal, state and local government in ensuring the timely
achievement of the roadmap, consider and articulate other related and
reasonably connected relevant plans and agenda that are incidental to broadband
development in the country and produce a comprehensive National Broadband Road
Map for Nigeria.
Addressing
State House correspondents after the committee's inauguration, the Minister of Information Technology, Mrs. Omobola
Johnson, who was joined by the co-chairmen of the presidential
committee, assured that government would create the enabling environment to
attract investment in ICT sector in the country.
THISDAY
Nigeria