Pantami, ATCON to strengthen gains, bridge N15 trillion infrastructure gap in telecoms/IT sector
By Ogaga Ariemu
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria(ATCON) to strengthen gains, bridge N15 trillion Naira infrastructure gap in telecoms and information technology sector.
This was diclosed to Nigerian NewsDirect Newspaper when the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Pantami received the executive members of ATCON lead by it President Engr. Ikechukwu Nnamani during a courtesy visit in Abuja on Thursday.
Speaking during the visit, the Minister, Dr. Pantami appreciated ATCON for commending the modest efforts made so far by the federal government in transforming the telecommunication, information and technology sector.
He reinterated that the NIN as championed by the federal government is key to all facets of the Nigeria economy.
“Mostly importantly in the area of the National Identity Number that have been neglected for years. It is the foundation identity for buidling a digital economy, national budget, economy and security planning.”
The Minister noted that the IT, digital economy sector is the most important in the economy hence he called for collaborate with ATCON to improve the industry.
“All my doors are open for you, whenever my attentsion is needed, I don’t believed in one man’s business, we are all stakeholders in the sector and we must work together to do the best we can do to take the sector to a greater height”.
Earlier, the president of ATCON, Engr. Ikechukwu Nnamani, lauded the giant strides of the Minister in the area of Right of Way(RoW), National Identity Management and entrenching digital economy in Nigeria.
He said ATCON is poised to work with federal government in order to boost the gains already achieved in the Nigerian telecommunications and ICT sector.
Nnamani said ATCON is particularly committed to supporting the Federal achieved, “the full implementation of the 2020-2025 Nigerian National Broadband Plan; development of strategic plan to bridge the over N15 Trillion infrastructure funding gap for the telecom/ ICT inductry; full implementation of the RoW policy and address multiple taxatiin and other regulatory challenges”.
“The primary and strategic objective of our targeted programme is to complement your concerted efforts in respect of making broadband pervasive amd ubiquitous as well as to encourage state governments and private sector to aid the grouwtg smd development through their deliberate and strategic investment technology and broadband in theri respective states”.
