Nigeria requires $5bn for National Broadband Plan- Maska

The Nigeria National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025 required about $5 billion for the implementation, according to Mallam Ubale Maska, chairman, Broadband Implementation Steering Committee (BISC).

Maska, represented by Dr Usman Abdullahi, said this at the maiden Stakeholders Consultation meeting with Industry Players on the implementation of the plan in Abuja.

“The plan itself can be achieved at the cost of between $3.5billion and $5 billion.

“We have several options and none is defined yet; we hope to raise something from the government. But as you can see government has its hands full.

“There are conflicting demands; we don’t know if that will happen. But the infrastructure funds that the Central Bank of Nigeria is floating is another source,” Maska said.

According to him, the event was to present to the industry players, the details of the provisions of the new NNBP 2020 -2025 with expected questions, comments, observations and feedback.

He said that it was also to present the key provisions of the plan, which were the set targets, pillars and recommended initiatives among others.

“I am very positive that discussions here will immensely help in improving our collaborative efforts and actions aimed at accelerating innovations, industrial growth and sustainable development of the telecommunications sector and the Nigerian digital economy in general,” he added.

Prof. Umar Danbatta, executive vice chairman, NCC, restated the commission’s commitment towards successful implementation of the plan.

The EVC NCC, represented by Malam Ubale Maska, said that 30 per cent broadband target set in the previous plan of 2013-2018 was met and surpassed due to collective efforts of the industry players.

Danbatta said that some targets were not met in the previous plan due to various challenges that were being addressed as a continuum.

He identified the importance of broadband to our Gross Domestic Product(GDP),socio-economic development, and most specially the Digital Economy, which he said cannot be overemphasised.

He, therefore, charged the industry players to in their usual manner be committed to the attainment of the set goals of NNBP 2020-2025.