Omobola Johnson, the Minister of Communication Technology has again said that government has focused on broadband expansion programme because high speed Internet and broadband will facilitate and eventually achieve sustainable socio-economic development for Nigeria.
Speaking in Abuja at a media briefing to mark the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) 2014, the Minister said that broadband can empower the citizenry by opening up access to crucial information that can realise aspirations and achievement of development goals.
How FG hopes broadband will drive sustainable development in Nigeria
Johnson said that, “the right to communication is central to the information society; it is a key principle for equitable and universal access to information and knowledge that in turn empowers people to meet their aspirations and achieve their development goals. On this note, digital development is a transformative tool to fast-track sustainable development. In order to realize its full potential, it is essential to roll-out high-speed broadband networks, making it affordable as well as universally accessible.
Broadband connectivity is therefore a critical element today in ensuring that information and communication technologies are used as effective delivery vehicles for health, education, governance, trade and commerce in order to achieve sustainable socio-economic growth’’, she added.
She emphasised that the broadband vision of the government is to connect Nigerians in every community to high-speed Internet and broadband access at affordable rates, to aid national development. “The transformative benefits of having broadband available to all are clear and include improved learning, increased job creation, better community and civic engagement, improved trade and commerce, and a positive impact on GDP”, according to Johnson.
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