Cable Cut: Nigeria FG, ITU Plan Stronger Digital Infrastructure, Broadband Penetration
By Justice Okamgba, Punch
March 20, 2024
The Federal Government and the International Telecommunication Union, headquartered in Geneva, have initiated discussions aimed at coordinating regional and global initiatives to safeguard submarine cables and other critical digital infrastructure.
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, disclosed this on X on Wednesday.
ITU is a specialised agency of the United Nations responsible for matters related to information and communication technology.
Tijani expressed his satisfaction with the meeting he had with the Deputy Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union, Tomas Lamanauskas, in Geneva.
In their discussion, they emphasized the necessity of reviewing global laws about digital infrastructure and involving relevant government and private sector stakeholders in the process.
The minister said they explored investment models to expand broadband penetration on a global scale, using Nigeria’s Broadband Alliance and Fibre Fund as potential examples for other markets worldwide.
Meanwhile, data from the Nigerian Communications Commission revealed that Nigeria has fallen short of its broadband penetration target for 2023, as outlined in the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (2020–2025).
According to the latest figures, broadband penetration declined to 43.71 per cent as of December 2023, down from 47.36 per cent recorded during the same period in 2022.
Minister Tijani wrote on X, “Following the recent cuts to submarine cables off the coast of West Africa, I spoke about my desire to initiate dialogue on building resilience in our digital infrastructure, so I was pleased to meet with the Deputy Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union, Tomas Lamanauskas, in Geneva today to kickstart action on organising regional and global efforts for the protection of submarine cables and other digital infrastructure.
“The Deputy Secretary-General and I discussed the review of global laws with relevant government and private sector stakeholders to ensure the enhancement of global digital resilience plans.
