‘Nigeria is overdue for 3G/LTE deployment’

The industry stakeholders who were part of the panel discussion at the Nokia Connect Nigeria ICT conference in Lagos noted that 3G/LTE deployment is crucial in the country considering the massive opportunities it holds for unleashing human capital development.The conference chaired by the Chairman of Zinox Group, Chief Leo Stan Ekeh with the theme Connect […]

The industry stakeholders who were part of the panel discussion at the Nokia Connect Nigeria ICT conference in Lagos noted that 3G/LTE deployment is crucial in the country considering the massive opportunities it holds for unleashing human capital development.
The conference chaired by the Chairman of Zinox Group, Chief Leo Stan Ekeh with the theme Connect Nigeria: Exploring ICT potential for growth, featured a panel discussion involving representatives of major players in the industry including Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Matt Wilshire; Managing Director, Airtel Nigeria, Mr. Segun Ogunsanya; MTN’s Corporate Services Executive, Mr. Wale Goodluck and Nokia’s Head of Central, East and West African sub-region, Mr. David Gaul.
The panel stressed the need for government intervention in eliminating impediments such as the high cost of broadband infrastructure deployment, spectrum allocation and issues with Right of Way.
According to them, government’s intervention in those areas is crucial to achieving latest technology deployment in the country.
The conference chairman in an opening remarks said increased deployment of broadband and more equitable access for the majority will create huge opportunities for self-development in Nigeria.
He said, “Just consider the effect this will have on the cost of doing business and the unlimited resources it will place at our disposal. Presently, a lot of people do not see these opportunities due to the current infrastructural challenges being faced in the sector and the slow pace of ICT uptake in Nigeria.”
Ekeh revealed that Nigeria’s population and cultural realities make the country a potentially lucrative market for broadband deployment.
He stressed the need for synergy between the government and the private sector in making this a reality.
“We must up the tempo because the market is a very huge one. The digital divide must be bridged and access must become a basic human right for everyone in this country. Government has a critical role to play in this regard. With liberalized band-width allocation, investor-friendly policies and enabling environment for private sector involvement, the multiplier effect of broadband deployment is unquantifiable and will rapidly transform Nigeria into a digital economy,” he said.