Nigeria to Spend N41.6B for Broadband In Schools, Airports and Markets

The Nigerian Government is to spend the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) internally generated revenue of N41.6 Billion for the provision of free broadband connectivity in higher institutions of learning, airports and markets.

Speaking at a Press Conference in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Professor Isa Pantami, stated that, the N41.6B is the internally generated revenue of the ministry.

Pantami said that he convinced both the NCC Board chairman, Adeolu Amanda and the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), Prof. Umar Danbatta to allow the federal government spend the money on other sectors, such as education and commerce. “The total amount we have committed to this is approximately N41.6B.”

“I presented my argument to both of them that let us take it outside the sector and support education, commerce and other activities within the country because what we can generate other sectors cannot be able to do that.

” So we agreed that this N41.6 billion should be spent through intervention in education, to support small and micro businesses and also to support our airports and other institutions”

The Minister noted that this was not just a direct government intervention, but it is a government intervention that we willingly sacrificed from our internally generated revenue.

We generated our revenue internally an
as we all know, the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007. Section 21 clearly states that from the operators of laws with regards to your IGR, what you generate you retain 20%.Then section 22 mentions that 80% of IGR is to be remitted to the consolidated revenue account for the Federation”

Professor Pantami said the amount will provide interventions in 113, higher institutions, airports and markets, in phase one, two and three.

“19 universities, one federal College of Education, 20 markets and the second and third phases. We have provision for 20 airports, six additional markets and 49 higher institutions of learning

“The whole money is from our internally generated revenue. That we have decided to spend on other institutions and support without retaining any money from that amount.” He emphasised

Giving reasons for implementing phase two and three of the interventions in higher institutions, airports and markets, he said, Implementation level in some institutions is up to 72%-91% in phase one.

“I received an update from the Nigerian Communications Commission with regards to the implementation of what we have done on the 24th of November 2022. Based on the record generally one can safely say that the first phase has been implemented.

“So, it is because of this that I felt it is the right time to commence phase two and phase three.” The Minister stated

He said that “I wrote a memo to His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari, he approved it and also directed me to present a council memo which has been presented for the second and third phase and all of them have been approved and that is why we are here.”

The highpoint of the event was the
presentation of Award letters to representatives of the public place benefiting from the phase 2 & 3 of Digital Economy Sector intervention project free unlimited broadband internet connectivity for 49 Tertiary Institutions, 20 Airports, and 6 Markets Across Nigeria by Ministry of Communications & Digital Economy Prof IsaPantami.

Lateefah Ibrahim