Minister of communications and digital economy Prof. Isa Ibrahim (Pantami) has called on stakeholders to work together to implement the national digital economy policy and strategy (NDEPS) 2020-2030.
Pantami stated this at a retreat organised by the federal ministry of communications and digital economy (FMoCDE) for senior management staff of the ministry and all its agencies which commenced on March 31, 2022 and ended on April 1.
The retreat was convened to evaluate the implementation of NDEPS in the context of what has been achieved, what needs to be achieved, and what processes should be emplaced to enhance the capacity of the ministry and agencies it superintends to mobilise all stakeholders to accomplish the objectives of NDEPS. The retreat took place at the Nigerian Army Officers Wives’ Association (NAOWA) Centre at Mambilla Barracks, Abuja.
Pantami also commended all the agencies in the communications and digital economy sector for their dedication so far to the implementation of the NDEPS.
Also speaking at the retreat, the executive vice chairman and chief executive officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, asserted that the NCC has acted superlatively in implementing NDEPS and in the context of the vision of Federal Government and the supervision of the ministry.
To reinforce the intensity of NCC’s commitment to improving broadband penetration, the EVC declared to the forum that NCC has emplaced a process for the deployment of optic fibre cable using infrastructure companies (Infracos).
Danbatta said that the licensed Infracos have been directed by the commission to commence immediate roll out without recourse to counterpart funding because the licence issued to them is independent of the counterpart funding agreement. The Infracos are expected to lay 38,296Km of fibre optic cable.
Also, in keeping with government’s directive through a federal executive council decision of 2005, NCC has constructed 32 emergency communication centres (EECs) in various states, and 32 of those have been activated and are operational.
