The 36 state governors of the federation are set to discuss how to empower the citizens with latest telecoms technologies as they partake in the maiden edition of Broadband Technical Awareness Forum for Governors (BTAF), organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and slated for Thursday in Abuja.
A statement by the NCC spokesperson Reuben Mouka on Wednesday said the programme, which will take place at the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja on Thursday, and themed: “State Broadband Coordinating Councils: Potentials and Possibilities.”
It will appraise the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025, which targets 70 percent broadband penetration and to cover 90 per cent of the population.
Other participants will include telecom operators, infrastructure companies (InfraCos), strategic partners, investors and other critical stakeholders, and will brainstorm on how Nigeria can achieve the expectations of Nigeria’s digital economy agenda.
Board members of the NCC, led by the Chairman, Prof. Adeolu Akande, and the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta, will participate at the BTAF, whose overarching objective is to promote the establishment of State Structures required for sustainable broadband infrastructure development at the State and Local Government Council levels, thereby addressing hindrances to the Federal Government’s drive to achieve available, accessible and affordable broadband services for Nigeria’s economy.
The forum, according to the statement, is expected to affirm the commitment of the government to adopt broadband structure and last-mile projects, particularly the economic viability of broadband deployments beyond the cities, with a strategic focus on funding models and procedures for remarkable and measurable impact.
