The General Manager, Fixed Broadband at MTN Nigeria, Onyinye Ikenna-Emeka, has said that Nigeria will achieve a 70 per cent internet penetration in urban and rural areas by 2025 as desired by the Federal Government if tactical collaborations between the private sector and the public sector are effectively utilised.
Ikenna-Emeka who stated this during a media chat noted that while the country is on the right path in terms of policy, there is a need for concerted efforts of all stakeholders to achieve the target.
Apart from the 70 per cent penetration, the National Broadband Plan (2020-2025) also specified the kind of internet speeds expected for both urban and rural areas; 25mbps and 10mbps respectively.
Tracing the country’s broadband journey, Ikenna-Emeka said, “When we look back at 2012 when we had just about 6 per cent internet penetration to where we are today, there is a significant improvement. As of the end of May this year, we had about 43.6 per cent penetration. That is quite encouraging.”
“A lot of work is still being done by the Federal Government and organisations like MTN to achieve the right levels of broadband penetration. The journey has already started and further collaborations will help us to get better,” she added.
Ikenna-Emeka noted that MTN Group’s Strategic Ambition 2025 is in close alignment with the Federal Government’s broadband targets. According to her, the technology provider’s intent is to deliver the right level of effective digital solutions to power Africa’s growth.
Enunciating MTN’s role as a driver of quality network across the country, Ikenna-Emeka said, “Today, what is most prevalent is the fixed wireless access and that is the technology that is being adopted by all operators globally. That’s what we want to scale and accelerate in our drive to achieve broadband penetration.
“We’re very shortly going to launch the 5G technology. There is also a lot of progress we’ve made in fibre optics which is another prevalent technology. This, along with the 3G, 4G, and 5G networks will provide us with the ability to serve more market segments and more different sectors.”
MTN Nigeria recently launched its home broadband services tailored to provide fast and reliable internet access in homes across Nigeria. With the imminent commercial deployment of the 5G network, Nigeria will be hoping to expand its internet penetration and connectivity to achieve its ambition of a near-perfect digital economy in the next three years.