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Nigeria Closer to Diminishing Affordable ICT Service Obstacles

Nigeria Closer to Diminishing Affordable ICT Service Obstacles

From All Africa

The quest for Nigerians to have affordable information and communication technologies (ICTs) services has long been on the front burner. Last week in Abuja, telecommunications operators, experts, regulators and ministers from Commonwealth nations gathered to proffer ways out of Nigeria’s dilemma. In this report, CHIMA AKWAJA x-rays what needs to be done to remove the barriers

Last week, two major events occurred simultaneously, one was in Geneva, Switzerland while the other was in Abuja, Nigeria’s federal capital. In Geneva, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations agency that regulates information and communications technologies (ICTs) released a report which measures the progress nations make with ICT. In Abuja, Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) member states gathered to push Nigeria to jump-start her much talked about broadband policy towards effective implementation.

The ITU’s “Measuring The Information Society 2013” a report which rates ICT Development Index (IDI) of nations, the progress they have made in the last one year, contains the latest figures and rankings of each nation, measuring their level of ICT access, use and skills. Conspicuously, Nigeria was there. But a discerning look shows that whereas Nigeria jumped two places from 124 to 122 in the 2012 ICT Development Index, this 2013 edition shows that Nigeria has remained on the same spot 122 for the past 12 months.

ITU’s ICT Development Index ranks 157 countries according to their level of ICT access, use and skills, and compares 2011 and 2012 scores. It is widely recognized by government, UN agencies and industry as the most accurate and impartial measure of overall national ICT development. Some African countries ahead of Nigeria include South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Ghana and Kenya.

Read more at allafrica.com