Minister advises IT operators to increase broadband penetration

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, has urged information technology operators in the country to enhance customer experience by improving Quality of Service, reducing the cost of service, and increasing broadband penetration.

At the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria’s virtual sectoral forum held in Abuja on Thursday, the minister said the government expected operators to reciprocate its efforts by treating the customer as king.

In his keynote address, Pantami said in order to create an enabling environment for both investors and consumers, the ministry addressed the issue of the cost of Right of Way and reduced to the barest minimum and also put measures in place to eradicate illegal or multiple taxation.

He noted that the protection of citizens’ rights had been the utmost priority to the government, especially those that were struggling adding that the initial draft Executive Order to protect telecommunications infrastructure had been updated and forwarded for presidential assent.

Pantami added that as part of the Ministry’s efforts to promote indigenous content, it was developing a policy for promoting indigenous content in the telecom sector to complement similar efforts that focused on the information technology sector.

“This is important to stem the tide of capital flight, amongst other things. The ministry will also reinforce existing Executive Orders 003 and 005 to ensure that priority is given to indigenous manpower and expertise,” he said.

In his address, the President of ATCON, Olusola Teniola, thanked the minister for working diligently to change the narrative of the country. He emphasised the importance of interdependence and collaboration among the government, telecom, and ICT companies and Nigerians.

“Each separate stakeholder has limitations and potentials hence, the forum is expected to make an attempt to address the challenges and turn them to advantage for the development of our telecom and ICT Sector in the era of COVID-19 and post COVID-19 pandemic,” Teniola said.

He added that ATCON provided the platform for the stakeholders to rub minds on how consumers can be better off in terms of the effective delivery of telecoms and ICT services and products in Nigeria to attract further investment into the sector.