My people, hear this gist wey concern our broadband wahala! E no be small thing as our Federal Government don call private sector make dem join hand wey dem wan solve this last-mile broadband wahala for Naija. Minister of Communications, Dr Bosun Tijani, talk am clearly, say e no just be about plenty money wey dem dey pour for digital infrastructure, but also, people need make dem fit buy devices wey go enable dem connect.
For Abuja, wey dem gather for the Flagship Nigeria: Electrification + Connectivity event, Dr Tijani talk say Naija dey lead Africa when e come to digital infrastructure investment. E even brag say very soon, we go dey see real changes as many projects go don land well-well. Na true he talk, because e talk am say, ‘If no be us, who again for Africa dey invest like this?’ E still mention say dem dey run one big fiber-optic project wey go stretch reach 90,000 kilometres, with the help of World Bank. Which other African country fit boast of this kind mad investment?
He no stop there. E talk say dem dey invest in communication satellites and additional 3,700 towers go land for rural areas wey dey need online connections. That one go make plenty Nigerians wey dey struggle for connectivity fit connect. You fit imagine 20 million people wey be say dem never see internet before? Na this kind investment fit change their lives!
As e be, before this administration enter, telecommunications sector dey under serious wahala. But with small tariff increase wey dem gree allow, profit don come back for ground. The minister don tell us say dem don pump over $1 billion back into our economy as the telecom sector dey recover. Mad levels!
Tijani also talk say the quality of internet wey Nigerians dey experience depend on the type of infrastructure wey we get. Years of not investing no go help us at all. ‘You for don notice say anytime our connection dey bad, na because nothing don happen for infrastructure level for long,’ e talk. But we suppose dey expect better access soon because he don promise say new infrastructure go soon show face.
But wait, e no just be about building network alone, na wetin we sabi do with the digital space dey matter pass. The minister gree say dem get plan to train 3 million young Nigerians on advanced digital skills through their Three Million Technical Talent programme. Over 150,000 don don train already, but dem no go chill there; dem gree expand the project.
For traders and market women, dem dey plan to roll out digital literacy courses via mobile phones in our local languages. This one go make am easy for everybody to connect with the digital world. You no go need to dey check WhatsApp just for English, local languages go dey help too!
As journalists ask am about electronic transmission of election results, the minister sidestep the question sharp-sharp, talk say him no dey into electoral matter. Him dey focus on improving infrastructure as him primary goal. No be small thing o! He don make am clear say all dem projects dey back by the president because everybody wan grow the economy reach $1 trillion.
Dr Tijani dey serious about making sure say every school, hospital, and public institution fit connect to the internet through our private sector partners. This no be just about investment; it’s about ensuring say all Naija people fit benefit from wetin dem dey work on. Dem dey encourage Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to design special packages for essential sectors like police and hospitals. No more small small data wey no fit carry workload!
Also, our satellites don old, and e dey high time we replace dem. New satellites go help connect areas wey dey difficult to reach. With President Bola Tinubu approving for fresh ones, we dey expect dem to roll out next year. The fiber project dey plan to land by mid-year, so Naija dey move sharp!
Finally, Ibrahima Guimba-Saidou from Partnership for Digital Access don raise concerns about electricity; if we no fit fix that one, all the internet plans no go really make sense. Electricity na the key; without am, no matter how much we invest in connection, e go dey useless!
Mathew Verghis from World Bank still dey reason say Naija fit experience serious growth because we get plenty young people wey dey ready to learn. The three things wey hold the key for digital inclusion na good electricity, solid broadband, and affordable devices. No one fit work without the other. Na why dem dey talk about better planning and cooperation. As government, they need to kolabo well with ISPs to make things happen fast!
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