
Barrister Adebayo Shittu, the new Minister for Communications has challenged stakeholders in the Nigerian technology sector to come up with new ideas that will promote growth of the information and communication technology (ICT) sector.
The new Minister who also said he is willing to learn from his predecessor, Dr Omobola Johnson, the pioneer Minister of Communication Technology and other industry stakeholders to promote growth in the ICT sector.
Shittu, a lawyer by profession admits he has little or no background knowledge about the ICT sector but says that as a seasoned administrator, he is open to new ideas and ready to collaborate with critical stakeholder in the industry to deliver the desired result of the National Broadband Plan.
The new Minister said this at the event which also had in attendance his predecessor, Omobola Johnson.
”It is a great privilege for me to meet with some of the critical stakeholder in the ICT sector today and I know that coming here today avail me the opportunity to learn even more”, Adebayo said at the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI), Nigeria coalition meeting held recently in Lagos.
[blockquote right=”pull-right”]At the Victoria Crown Plaza Hotel venue of the meeting in Lagos, the new Minister also surprised every attendee by handing them his complimentary card explaining that ”everyone is free to send me proposal on innovation and ideas on how best we can move this sector forward.”[/blockquote]

At the Victoria Crown Plaza Hotel venue of the meeting in Lagos, the new Minister also surprised every attendee by handing them his complimentary card explaining that ”everyone is free to send me proposal on innovation and ideas on how best we can move this sector forward.”
Shittu reckons that he will consolidate on the modest achievements recorded by Johnson, the immediate past Minister of Communications Technology including; facilitating universal, ubiquitous and cost effective access to communications infrastructure that includes a national fiber optic backbone.
He also promised to promote the utilization of ICT in all spheres of life to optimize the communications infrastructure
”I am aware that the Federal Government of Nigeria came up with a plan to enhance the penetration of Internet in the country and that contained in the National Broadband Plan. This is very apt as access to the Internet in this 21st Century information and knowledge age has become a basic human right and so is its affordability,”
The Minister said that the President Muhammed Buhari-led government plans to have more Nigerians having seamless access to broadband and the internet, which he belives that the national broadband plan 2013-2018 clearly articulates the importance of affordability in doing so.
“I commend your group (A4AI) for bringing this idea to the fore, aiming for 30 percent penetration by the year 2018. It is my understanding that the implementation of this plan nationwide has been slow and fraught with multifarious challenges but I wish to assure you that change has come in this regard”, Shittu told the tech forum.
