The Nigerian Communications Commission and the Bristish government  have agreed to collaborate on digital inclusion, cybersecurity and capacity building. Also, Nigeria is to benefit from £1.2 billion intervention fund set aside by the British government to create wealth and posterity in selected countries around the world.

Prof Umar Danbatta, executive vice chairman, NCC, who made the disclosure after meeting with a delegation from the UK, said there were 200 internet access gaps in Nigeria. He said the commission was looking at different rural technology solutions to plug them in two years as against the 20 years projected.

“With the right rural technology solution, we can do it faster because at the rate we are plugging the gaps it will take us about 20 years to conclude. These gaps deprive 40 million Nigerians of access to telecommunications services, out of 190 million. The good thing about getting a solution to the access gap problem is that we know where the gaps are, we have our access gap map, we can actually point out where the gaps are,” he said.

The delegation that paid Danbatta a courtesy visit in Abuja, was led by Alessandra Lustrati, senior private sector development adviser and head, Digital Inclusion at Department of Foreign and International Development, DFID, of the British government.

According to Lustrati, the delegation is at the commission to explore how the British government can channel a significant intervention to the tune of £1.2 billion to create wealth and posterity in selected countries around the world.

“And this creation of posterity will leverage on the power of ICT to provide access to unserved and underserved areas in the country. The intervention is also on cyber security and capacity building.”

Lustrati told the Danbatta that the  government of United Kingdom was hoping to start the implementation of the intervention from as early as April 2019, noting that the project was deliberately made “country-specific” to enable countries like Nigeria chooses the nature of the interventions they desire.

– Nov. 2, 2018 @ 14:25 GMT |