From Abdulrazaq Mungadi, Gombe
The Nigeria Communication Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) has restated its commitment to partner with the Gombe State Government to provide broadband access and solutions that would enhance the operations of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as well as Educational and Healthcare services in the state.
According to the agency, the partnership would be aimed at providing better connectivity and improving access to technology for people in Gombe State.
This was disclosed by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Nkechi Jane Egerton-Idehen, at a press conference during her two-day working visit to Gombe State.
She explained that it is expected that the anticipated partnership would be beneficial to numerous businesses and institutions operating in the state.
She said, “This is a new era for NIGCOMSAT, and we are here to ensure our Clients, potential clients, stakeholders, and partners are aware of this. We aim to transform the perception of this proud asset of our nation, not just through words, but through tangible actions and results. We are determined to make NIGCOMSAT a beacon of national pride, with an energized workforce, satisfied clients, and national recognition.”
Nkechi further explained that the agency sees the provision of internet and other services including cyber security as a right in Nigeria and that the agency is committed to covering between 70 and 75 percent of the country’s population. “One of the things that the government is passionate about, is how can we create access that reaches every part of the nation, for the private sector sometimes it doesn’t make business sense to reach every part of the nation.
But, with government that is different, because we see it as a right of every citizen, that is how we can create innovation, that is how we can empower and create an inclusive environment, so for us is a mandate, our goal is to achieve 70 percent coverage by 2027,” Nkechi stated.
She added saying, “One of the reasons I am here in Gombe is to talk to the higher institutions and other potential clients and to more visibility of what we do and give ourselves more visibility, a lot of government’s agencies including NITDA, NIMC, NCC, Galaxy USPN and institutions like BUK are our clients, we are doing much more but we don’t say it enough,” the NIGCOMSAT Boss said.
Furthermore, she assured that in partnership with the NIGCOMSAT educational institutions in Gombe state will be able to provide better learning experiences for their students by utilizing advanced technology that comes with broadband access and that the partnership would enable students to access e-learning materials, take online courses, and collaborate virtually with other students and teachers from different parts of the world.