Embrace technology to fight insecurity, Pantami advises governors

Isa Pantami, minister of communications and digital economy, says the inclusion of technology into sub-national security systems will help to curb insecurity.

Pantami said this on Thursday at the broadband technical awareness forum for governors organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in Abuja.

While addressing the governors, the minister said access to broadband, simplified as high-speed internet, is no longer a luxury but a necessity with ties to economic development.

“We have realised that broadband penetration cannot be achieved in Nigeria without accommodating our sub-nationals so we can work together and ensure its success,” Pantami said.

“As we all know that the Federal Government of Nigeria has developed Nigeria’s broadband plan 2020-2025 which has been unveiled by my boss and principal PMB on the 19th of March 2020.

“Since the launching of that policy we have been working day in day out by inviting and collaborating with all other stakeholders to ensure we achieve broadband penetration in Nigeria and we also derive the benefits of broadband penetration in the country.

“Access to broadband today is no more a luxury but a necessity because there is no way we can ensure security and safety without broadband globally. There is no way we can achieve economic development without connectivity and there is no way we can acquire knowledge effectively and deliver our targets without access to broadband.

“For example, when it comes to security, if you look at all the server systems that are being deployed by security institutions, you can’t manage all the servers effectively without broadband penetration. Computer systems, communication systems, command systems, information systems and intelligence systems – all need broadband to be effective and efficient.

“If you look at the broadband penetration in Nigeria from 2019 till date, you will discover that, year in year out, the increase in broadband connectivity is directly related to an increase in our prospects.”

The minister noted that the country is on course to achieving its national target of 70% broadband penetration by 2025 while calling on state governors to play their part in enhancing the country’s digital economy.

“Based on the report I have received from the NCC which has been dated 26 September, 2022, about 152, 275, 265 people representing 79.8 percent of Nigerians are connected to the internet while 85,232, 000 representing 44.68 per cent of Nigerians have access to broadband,” he said.

“By implication, when it comes to broadband penetration, we are on track, we are delivering, in some cases, we have delivered the tasks given to us by 590 percent.

“When there is broadband penetration in our states, it will go a long way in supporting our security institutions and the entire ecosystem, our schools and our systems.

“It is because of this that we note that our sub-nationals have a strong role to play. I do hope that our governors and their representatives with us will unleash the benefits of broadbrand penetration so we can achieve the targets of the Nigeria broadband plan.

“The journey has been encouraging but we must continue to support one another at the federal and state level.”