Nigeria's Information and Communications Sector

UNCLAS LAGOS 000726 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/W STATE FOR INR/AA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR ECPS NI SUBJECT: Nigeria's Information and Communications Sector ¶1. SUMMARY: Nigeria's information and communications sector will implement policies to improve intra-regional connectivity and roaming as an aid to economic growth, a senior member of the National Communications Commission (NCC) said. He expects that IT improvements will result in increased economic productivity, improved educational and health care systems, an efficient travel industry and improved border protection. Nigeria has one of the continent's fastest growing telecommunications sectors. END SUMMARY. -------------- NIGERIA'S IT POLICIES SPUR GROWTH -------------- ¶2. Executive Vice-Chairman of the NCC Ernest Ndukwe indicated a new shift in the federal government's policy regarding Information and Communications Technologies at a Champion Newspaper Better Society lecture. Nigeria has become a significant player in the Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) market and has one of the continent's fastest growing telecommunications sectors. The Vice Chairman attributed this to the strong policies of liberalization followed by administrations both in the past and in the present. He also attributed growth to the increasingly effective role played by the NCC. ¶3. Emphasizing the need to sustain the growth in the sector, Ndukwe said the next phase of Nigeria's ICT policy would target economic growth across various sectors. The policy would strive to: ensure that continued increase in tele-density translates to an increase in the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP); and stimulate increased productivity, communication and commerce within the country and in the sub-region, as intra-regional connectivity and roaming facilities improve. He predicts more employment opportunities as new professional fields and practices such as software, telecommunications and network engineering become prevalent. The cascading income effect of such new occupations could help reduce unemployment and better help Nigeria meet its Millenium Development Goals (MDGs). -------------- ICTS AND THE MILLENIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS -------------- ¶4. ICTs have already been used to great effect in development projects in Nigeria. One successful program provided 680 rural "phone ladies" across 12 states with cell phones, allowing them to receive and send text messages and phone calls for community members who would otherwise not have phone access. ¶5. Other development-focused applications of ICTs include: --bringing farmers increased access to markets, seed and fertilizer availability (which also benefits rural traders); --increased access to information and resources for education; --increased access to health care providers for patients and clinics; --improved travel scheduling and booking systems in the travel sector (thus supporting economic investment); --and enhanced security and border patrol abilities as a result of better communication. -------------- THE SCOPE OF ICT IN NIGERIA -------------- ¶6. In 2001, available connected telephone lines for the more than 120 million Nigerians numbered 450,000. As of August 2007, there were 38,000,000 connected subscriber lines, or 27 percent tele-density. Approximately 1,000,000 new subscribers join cellular services each month. In order to stimulate demand, and increase the use of ICTs, the NCC has implemented several initiatives, including the State Accelerated Broadband Initiative (SABI) and the Wire Nigeria Project (WIN),and also has focused on broadband capability by declaring 2007 the Year of Broadband. HUTCHINSON