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Benjamin Babine, Abuja
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Pantami, says that the Federal Government has strictly complied with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) standards in the deployment of Information Communication Technology (ICT).
He stated this via Skype in Abuja on the commemoration of the World Telecommunication Information and Society Day Celebration (WTISD-20) which is marked 17th May every year. This year’s theme was ‘Connect 2030: ICTs for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)’.
Dr Pantami pointed out that the top priority of the government in the deployment of ICT in Nigeria is to ensure the safety, security and health of the citizens in the country.
‘This is our own priority whenever we deployed ICTs. There are standards of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) when it comes to deployment of ICTs. We always ensure Nigerians follow the standards and regulations and that will go a long way in reducing or eliminating any negative impact that could be perceived.’
The minister went on to state that with the challenges of COVID-19 worldwide, the government is effectively promoting social/physical distancing by leveraging on ICT, noting that, presently, the government carries out most of its activities within and outside the offices through the use of ICT.
He noted that President Muhammadu Buhari’s policy and strategy is to focus on ICT, evident in the administration’s tech policies: Nigeria eGovernment Master Plan, Digital Economy, National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy for Digital Nigeria and implementation of the National Broadband Plan 2020-2025.
‘These are the policies in place and we have started to implement them which is a clear indication that Nigeria now focuses more on ICTs,’ Pantami stated.
The World Telecommunication and Information Society Day has been celebrated worldwide since 1969. The day marks the founding of the ITU on May 17, 1865, when the first International Telegraph Convention was signed in Paris.
