The Executive Vice-chairman of Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta says Nigeria is rated 11th in terms of internet penetration and seventh in terms of mobile phone usage globally.
Prof. Danbatta said this at the opening ceremony of the Emerging Technology Forum for the Telecommunications Industry in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
The two-day forum is tagged; ‘Contextualising the Network Readiness Index (NRI) for the Nigerian Telecommunications Industry.’
Prof. Danbatta represented by Head, Spectrum Database Management, NCC, Abraham Oshadami, said the global data collected by the NRI team showed that digital transformation was a global imperative to maximise the social and economic effects of digital era.
He said; “the NIR explores the performances of 131 economies in four categories which include: technology (infrastructure), governance, people, and impact.”
“Nigeria is a telecommunications powerhouse, with 82% of the continent’s telecom subscribers and 29% of the continent’s internet consumption.
“The global data collected by the NRI team shows that digital transformation is a global imperative in maximising the social and economic effects of the digital era. Despite these remarkable metrics, the fact that our Network Readiness Index (NRI) ranking for 2022 is 109th out of 131 countries is both humbling and challenging,” Prof. Danbatta explained.
He said as agents of social and economic transformation in the nation, prioritising network readiness was not only a strategic necessity but a mandate.
“It can create new inequalities which can hinder the ability of younger generations to engage in the digital economy, but also remains a powerful way to do more with less at all levels of income.
“Formal education is evolving, and metrics are important to support informed policymaking. This requires re-skilling and up-skilling opportunities to be available, accessible, and affordable to have more inclusive and sustainable economies and societies, “ Prof. Danbatta said.
He said; “The NRI is a guiding metric that measures the role and impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). To navigate this era of transformation, we must embrace innovation, make strategic investments, and cultivate a growth-friendly ecosystem.”
The NCC boss called on stakeholders to grasp this opportunity to investigate emerging technologies, envisage their potential applications, and determine how they can leverage to solve specific challenges.
Prof. Danbatta said; “This platform is our gateway to innovative and disruptive solutions that can positively transform our industry.
“By engaging in conversations about new technologies, collaborating with global best practices and subject-matter experts, and pooling our insights, we open the door to unimaginable future possibilities.”
The Head, New Media and Information Security, NCC, Dr Chidi Diugwu urged stakeholders to embrace insights offered by the NRI to guide policies, investments and collaborations.
Diugwu said “this would enable them to harness the potential of emerging technologies, invest in human capital, and foster innovation that would unlock new opportunities, bridge the digital divide, and create a prosperous and inclusive digital future for Nigeria.”
In his remarks, the Executive-Commissioner, Technical Services, NCC , Ubale Maske, said NRI was a strong indicator of how the country was adapting to the digital transformation happening all over the world.
Maske said; “this will help us to access our progress and position on the global digital train.”
“This forum seeks to examine the different barriers and key drivers of emerging technologies as far as the Nigerian telecommunications industry is concerned,” he said.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
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