THE Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has urged the Swedish government to support Nigeria’s quest to deploy more robust broadband infrastructure in the country, for growth and prosperity.

Speaking last night in Abuja at a dinner hosted by the Swedish Ambassador to Nigeria, Carl-Michael Grans, Dr Pantami, who was represented by the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, said Nigeria has embarked on a digital transformation journey and efforts are ongoing to ensure evacuation of the massive data capacity at landing points to hinterland.

“We have a plan to move the massive capacity from landing point to hinterland. To do that, we know we have to put in place the necessary infrastructure that will facilitate it. We would, therefore, like the Swedish Government to buy into this great idea of deploying this massive broadband infrastructure which is fibre-driven,” he observed.

According to him, the project will see a quantum access of 10gbps in each of the 774 local governments of the country.

“We appreciate the important intervention that you are giving to this country, especially to this sector of the economy we are managing on behalf of the Federal Government. The statistics are there for all to see. The broadband penetration, for instance is about 40 per cent but this is 40 per cent of close to 200 million people, which translates to about 80 million Nigerians having access to high speed internet together with the volume associated with broadband networks,” he explained.