Nigeria Pushes for Open, Secure Internet Access

Emma Okonji

The Nigerian government has subscribed to a free and secure Internet for Africa, which is capable of bridging the digital divide and creating innovative opportunities within the continent.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, who canvassed this position at the just-concluded Africa Internet Governance Forum (AfIGF) at Abuja, stated that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remained committed to engendering necessary collaborations and international dialogues to achieve these objectives.

The minister, who addressed the forum virtually, said Nigeria, as the largest telecommunications market in Africa, would continue to be conscious of all the dynamics of emerging technologies around internet usage and would continue to work with countries in Africa on different fronts to ensure that the internet was effectively governed so its innumerable resources can be leveraged for citizens and nation’s growth.

“The need for our consistent collaboration to develop our economy collectively is preeminent in the agenda of the current administration in Nigeria. It is through this kind of forum that we can bridge the digital divides, enhance cybersecurity, ensure digital rights and foster innovation.
“It is, therefore, our collective duty to ensure that the Internet remains open, safe and beneficial for all,” Tijani told participants from Africa that attended the forum.

The minister encouraged all the stakeholders to prioritise a collaborative approach to creating policies and strategies that would shape the future of the internet in Africa.
Tijani, specially commended the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and other agencies of government that constituted the Local Organising Committee (LOG), on behalf of the Nigerian government as well as all sponsors, for a successful 2023 AfIGF.

The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, provided insights on NCC’s commitment to driving a secure internet ecosystem in Nigeria through various regulatory initiatives. Danbatta, stated that Nigeria has attained tremendous growth in broadband penetration, basic Internet usage, and voice subscriptions and recorded impressive contributions to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The NCC CEO said as Nigeria hosted this year’s edition of the AfIGF, the country was focused on sharing experiences with other sister nations in Africa as well as learning from the AfIGF parliamentarians from Africa who gathered at the forum to collectively drive the frontiers of the ideals of proper utilisation of Internet resources to promote socio-economic development on the African continent.

Chief of the Section on Innovation and Technology at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Dr. Mactar Seck, thanked the NCC and all entities of government that provided support and played a great role in ensuring the success of the event, said with a forum such as the AfIGF, African nations can continue to aggregate views that allow them to speak with one voice to get greater benefits for African economic development.