ICT to Contribute 35% to GDP by 2015
- By Lawson Ovih
- Published September 26th, 2011
- News
- Unrated
Mrs. Omobola Johnson, minister of communication technology, has disclosed that the information communication technology (ICT) industry would in 2015 contribute 35 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) with the huge success recorded since the liberalisation process and also create about 1.3 million jobs, thereby fostering the required development that would enhance the realisation of the Vision 20-2020.
The minister, who presided over a stakeholders’ forum in Lagos last week, said the telecom sector is perceived to be very successful with the growth in the subscriber base of 90 million and the massive investment by the global system for mobile communications (GSM) operators and the code division multiple access (CDMA) service providers that has facilitated related businesses despite the challenges associated with the cost of operations.
She stated that in order to attain dramatic results in the telecommunications in the country, her ministry would come up with policy of harmonizing the various policies within the various government agencies and regulatory authorities such as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the National Information Technology Development Agency (Nitda), Nigeria Postal Service (Nipost) and Galaxy Backbone, government organisation responsible for providing connectivity between ministries, department and agencies.
According to her, NCC would be responsible for telecommunications, Nitda for encouraging and supporting the development of ICT in the country, Nipost would be made to be more effective in its services, while Galaxy Backbone would be repositioned as a government ICT service provider without conflicting with the private network providers’ commercial activities.
And in order to further increase the pace of growth in the telecom industry, Omobola urges network operators to accelerate the numbers of base transceiver stations to meet with the increased capacity to avoid congestion on their networks adding that the ministry would ensure that there is easy access for the roll out of infrastructure in the various states of the country. “We are working closely with the various states ministries of works to grant access and right of way for telecom companies to expand their network to the rural areas and to remove existing bottlenecks experienced in order to drive penetration and for effective utilisation of broadband for businesses in the country,” she said.
Johnson added that government will sensitise the local communities on the usefulness of these infrastructure, ensure that they get used to mobile phones and have access to the internet.
The minister, who presided over a stakeholders’ forum in Lagos last week, said the telecom sector is perceived to be very successful with the growth in the subscriber base of 90 million and the massive investment by the global system for mobile communications (GSM) operators and the code division multiple access (CDMA) service providers that has facilitated related businesses despite the challenges associated with the cost of operations.
She stated that in order to attain dramatic results in the telecommunications in the country, her ministry would come up with policy of harmonizing the various policies within the various government agencies and regulatory authorities such as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the National Information Technology Development Agency (Nitda), Nigeria Postal Service (Nipost) and Galaxy Backbone, government organisation responsible for providing connectivity between ministries, department and agencies.
According to her, NCC would be responsible for telecommunications, Nitda for encouraging and supporting the development of ICT in the country, Nipost would be made to be more effective in its services, while Galaxy Backbone would be repositioned as a government ICT service provider without conflicting with the private network providers’ commercial activities.
And in order to further increase the pace of growth in the telecom industry, Omobola urges network operators to accelerate the numbers of base transceiver stations to meet with the increased capacity to avoid congestion on their networks adding that the ministry would ensure that there is easy access for the roll out of infrastructure in the various states of the country. “We are working closely with the various states ministries of works to grant access and right of way for telecom companies to expand their network to the rural areas and to remove existing bottlenecks experienced in order to drive penetration and for effective utilisation of broadband for businesses in the country,” she said.
Johnson added that government will sensitise the local communities on the usefulness of these infrastructure, ensure that they get used to mobile phones and have access to the internet.
