Pantami Says Nigeria’s Broadband Penetration Grew 10% ln 12 Months
The Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami has said that in the last 11 months since he assumed the position, broadband penetration in the country has grown by 10 per cent, from an average growth of two per cent annually since year 2000.
According to the Minister, the Federal Government remains committed to digitalising the Nigerian economy, saying the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the need for the government to aggressively achieve a digital economy.
Pantami disclosed this at the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria’s (CIBN), 2020 Graduates’ Induction/Prize Awards day, which held virtually over the weekend.
The CIBN inducted 1,311 new members and awarded the best performing students in its different professional certification categories.
Speaking on the feat recorded by his ministry, Pantami said: “In less than a year, when I came on board, the broadband penetration was a little higher than 30 per cent, from year 2000 to 2019. But, by the end of July this year, broadband penetration was over 42 per cent. We achieved almost 10 percent increase in less than a year.
“With all sense of humility and modesty, before we came on board, the penetration annually was averagely less than two per cent. But this year alone, the penetration is 10 per cent which is highly unprecedented”, the Minister noted.
