By Uwa Suleiman
Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami has charged the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA) with ensuring that the development of a seamless telecommunications network and infrastructure across West Africa is expedited. Pantami stated this in his opening remarks at the 18th Annual General Meeting of the Assembly holding in Abuja on Wednesday, 10th March 2021.
Pantami noted that the objectives of WATRA can be achieved through the formulation and implementation of sound regulatory policies, programmes and initiatives that will leverage the impressive growth of the sector, especially the Nigerian Telecommunications Sector.
“It is noteworthy that the Nigerian telecommunications sector grew by 15.9% in 2020 from 11.41% in 2019 and 11.33% in 2018, thereby recording the highest growth rate in the last 10 years”. This unprecedented development Pantami noted, “is attributed to the development and implementation of policies and strategies for the Nigerian Digital Economy Sector, one of which is the Nigerian National Broadband Plan, which is aimed at the significant reduction of access gaps through the expansion of broadband in the country”.
The country’s current broadband penetration rate stands at 45.07% as against about 33% at the commencement of the plan.