FG Complies With International Telecommunication Union Standards – Ali Pantami
BY GLORIA USMAN, ABUJA – The Federal Government on Monday said that it has complied with the International Telecommunication Union standards in the deployment of Information Communication Technology (ICTs) in the country.
Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, who stated this via Skype in commemoration of the World Telecommunication Information and Society Day Celebration with the theme: “Connect 2030: ICTs for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” held in Abuja, said the top priority of government in the deployment of ICTs in Nigeria is to ensure the safety, security and health of the citizens in the country.
Pantami further said; “This is our own priority whenever we deployed ICTs. There are standards of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) when it comes to deployment of ICTs.
“We always ensure Nigerians follow the standards and regulations and that will go a long way in reducing or eliminating any negative impact that could be perceived”.
Pantami said that with the challenges of COVID-19 worldwide, government is effectively promoting social/physical distancing by leveraging on ICTs, adding that presently, government carries out most of its activities within and outside the offices through the use of ICTs.
The Minister noted that President Muhammadu Buhari’s policy and strategy is more focused on ICTs hence the reason why he came up with the concept of Nigeria eGovernment Master Plan, Digital Economy, National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy for digital Nigeria and implementation of the National Broadband Plan 2020-2025.
According to Pantami; “These policies are in place and we have started to implement them which is a clear indication that Nigeria now focuses more on ICTs”.
Telecommunication and Information Society Day is being celebrated worldwide, which marks the founding of ITU on 17 May 1865 when the first International Telegraph Convention was signed in Paris.
