FG, stakeholders collaborate to make internet affordable

The coalition which met in Abuja discussed on innovative drive to make internet affordable across the country.Minister of Communication Technology Omobola Johnson told participants that Nigerian government was already making efforts to increase broadband penetration by five-fold to 30 percent by 2018. She said   deployment of a national fiber optic network is ongoing across the […]

The coalition which met in Abuja discussed on innovative drive to make internet affordable across the country.
Minister of Communication Technology Omobola Johnson told participants that Nigerian government was already making efforts to increase broadband penetration by five-fold to 30 percent by 2018.
She said   deployment of a national fiber optic network is ongoing across the entire country; adding this will    addresse high cost points such as spectrum prices.
According to her, government is working to also solve the problem of physical attacks on infrastructure.
Sonia Jorge, Executive Director of A4AI, who also spoke at the meeting, said the group was working to unlock the power of the internet in Africa and place it in the hands of those for whom it remains out of reach.
“Nigeria is one of the fastest growing markets in Africa but overcoming the challenges to increased access will not be solved by a single solution or player. Through collaboration we need to create policy and regulatory environments that reduce cost structures for providers, users and potential users of the internet environments that stimulates investment, increase affordability and encourage internet use. In Nigeria, A4AI will be focusing on reaching rural communities and those living below the poverty line, so all Nigerian women and men can realize the benefits of the Web”, he said.
He said a World Bank data showed that  eighty-four percent of Nigerians live on less than two dollars per day and 63 percent live on less than $1.25 per day.
A prepaid mobile broadband user subsisting on $2 per day who wanted to use 1GB of data per month would have to spend 22 percent of their monthly income to do so, he said.
“At present, one third of Nigerians use the Internet, up from 28 percent in 2011 and 24 percent in 2010. However, the broadband penetration rate is only 6 percent.
“In Nigeria, fixed broadband currently costs 39 percent of average monthly income, with a 500MB pre-paid mobile broadband plan averaging 13 percent.
“The Alliance for Affordable Internet and its 55 members, whose global sponsors are Google, Omidyar Network, the UK’s Department for International Development and the US Agency for International Development, will work hand-in-hand with the Nigerian government and sector stakeholders to support the Government in the implementation of its vision for affordable broadband access to all Nigerians.”