ATCON to engage stakeholders on new National Broadband Plan

Barely a year after it was launched by the Nigerian government, the new National Broadband Plan 2020-2025 will get the undivided attention of stakeholders in the telecommunication sector.

The Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) is hosting a virtual structured engagement with key stakeholders in the Nigerian telecom and ICT sector on the broadband plan on Thursday, 25 March 2021. The theme of the engagement is ‘Realising the new set target of 70 percent of Broadband Penetration.’

The goal of the meeting is to seek the buy-in of the various sub-groups under the membership of ATCON to ensure and guarantee that the Nigerian National Broadband Plan 2020-2025 is adequately positioned to deliver its objectives for the generality of Nigerians more quickly and strategically.

It also presents an opportunity for members of ATCON to review and provide insightful approaches and solutions along with the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy, NCC, NITDA, and state governments as to what needs to be done to support various programmes and projects that are earmarked for the successful implementation of the previous national broadband plan under past ministries.

During the meeting, ATCON plans to reiterate its strategic objectives with regulators. These include complimenting the various strategic activities embarked upon by the ministry; achieve the set target of broadband penetration in Nigeria with great speed; leverage on the wide spectrum of ATCON sub-group for effective participation in the new broadband plan by giving them the opportunity to access the plan and suggest various ways to speed up the realisation of the established target by the government; to serve as a veritable platform to galvanise the needed input that reflects the thinkings of the telecom and ICT sector; and an opportunity to review the relevance of the Nigerian policy environment vis-a-vis the telecom operating environment.

Isa Ali Pantami, Minister of Communication and Digital Economy is expected to deliver the keynote address on ‘Enhancing the contributions of sub-sector in the Nigerian national broadband plans through enabling policies.’ There will also be views from Umar Garba Danbatta, EVC, and CEO, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC); Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, director-general and CEO, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA); and Aliyu Aziz Abubakar, director-general and CEO, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

“We are confident that this special engagement would enable us to carry out the industry mapping with respect to the new Nigerian National Broadband Plan 2020-2025. This very important strategic and flagship event would serve as a veritable platform for the key stakeholders in the telecom and ICT sector to brainstorm and proffer solutions for the realization of the new set target of 70% of Broadband Penetration more expediently,” ATCON noted in a statement.