By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said Nigeria now ranks seventh in terms of mobile phone usage globally while it takes the 11th spot in terms of internet penetration.
The NCC Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Mr Umar Danbatta, disclosed this while speaking at the opening ceremony of a two-day workshop on emerging technology forum for the telecommunications industry in Abuja on Thursday.
Mr Danbatta, who was represented by Mr Abraham Osahadami, the NCC’s Head of Spectrum Database Management, said 82 per cent of the country’s 200 million+ population are telecom subscribers while just 29 per cent consume the internet.
“Our nation ranks eleventh globally in terms of internet penetration and seventh in terms of mobile phone usage.
“Despite these remarkable metrics, the fact that our Network Readiness Index (NRI) ranking for 2022 is 109th out of 131 countries is both humbling and challenging,” he quipped.
Mr Danbatta noted that the Nigerian telecommunications industry had embarked on a remarkable growth trajectory, solidifying its position as an engine of economic growth.
“The enhancement of digital access and the expansion of our networks have left an indelible impact on the lives of our citizens. While we celebrate these accomplishments, we are keenly aware that our dynamic society requires even higher connectivity, reliability, and accessibility standards,” he said.
He said the surge in data utilisation, the proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT), the advent of artificial intelligence, and the emergence of cutting-edge technologies highlight the urgent need for ongoing network surveillance and expansion.
To navigate this era of transformation, he said the nation must embrace innovation, make strategic investments, and cultivate a growth-friendly ecosystem.
He explained that this platform is Nigeria’s gateway to innovative and disruptive solutions that can positively transform our industry.
“By engaging in conversations about new technologies, collaborating with global best practices and subject-matter experts, and pooling our insights, we open the door to unimaginable future possibilities.
“Let us grasp this opportunity to investigate emerging technologies, envisage their potential applications, and determine how they can be leveraged to solve our specific challenges,” he said.
He said the global data collected by the NRI team reveals that digital transformation is a global imperative in order to maximize the social and economic effects of the digital era, adding that it can create new inequalities which can hinder the ability of younger generations to engage in the digital economy, but also remains a powerful way to do more with less at all levels of income.
He explained that the NRI is a guiding metric that measures the role and impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). It explores the performances of 131 economies in four key categories: technology (infrastructure), governance, people, and impact.
“Throughout our deliberations, we will engage in thought-provoking forum discussions that explore the foundational pillars of NRI through a number of presentations by renowned professionals in the technology landscape,” he said.
Modupe Gbadeyanka