by Kingseyi Thu Jul 26, 2018 6:54 pmVice President Yemi Osinbajo has
announced plans by the Federal
Government to expand the broadband
coverage of the country through the
licensing of private broadband providers.
He said this while inaugurating the Google for
Nigeria event at the Landmark Centre, Lagos, on
Thursday.
He said that the measure would improve the
digital space and opportunities for innovation
and technological advancement of the country.
“Next week I will launch a climate innovation
centre in partnership with the Enterprise
Development Centre at the Lagos Business
School, here in Lekki Village.
“All of these form part of our ICT road map in
which the private sector is an important
stakeholder.
“The challenge remains connectivity, extending
broadband reach and making data cheaper.
“Our national broadband policy is the first step
we are taking.
“And so through the Nigerian Communications
Commission we are licensing a number of
infrastructure companies who will invest in
rolling out broad band infrastructure across
Nigeria.
“I believe that we can extend broadband
connectivity and reach significantly within a year
or two and we will be partnering in whatever
way we can with Google.
“And with Nigerian broadband providers like 21
Century Technologies, BCN, to quickly achieve
the level of connectivity that is required to
march the creative energy that is being released
in our country on a daily basis.
“Our goal is to create a data-driven digital
economy, one that will lead the way not just in
Africa but globally as well.’’
Osinbajo expressed the belief that Nigeria was
on the right path as the nation had the people
and the talent.
He added that there existed a government that
had seen the potential very clearly and showing
the determination to unlock that potential.
According to him, technology has put great
powers in our hands as individuals but more
importantly as co-creators and collaborators to
positively and dramatically change the course of
human existence.
Osinbajo noted that with technology , the
country could solve many problems confronting
the people.
He said that in addition, the country could
connect people, grow businesses, influence
good governance, and create better lives and a
better country for the citizens and for the future.
He said that the country was in many senses at
an exciting moment in history because of what
the young people were doing in innovation and
their sheer energy and talent.
Accordingly, the vice president the future the
country is looking well and it has already
arrived, is bound to be an exciting one for the
youth and adults.
He said that the government would be with the
youth in every step of the journey.
Osinbajo thanked Google for democratising the
country’s digital space, urging that such
innovations should be extended to many of the
nation’s markets where a large number of
people ply their trade.
He observed that through Artificial Intelligence,
the country was guaranteed more food and
better healthcare.
He said that every step made to make
technology available would lead to a quantum
leap in the African development story and a
major contribution to global stability and
growth.
He described the inauguration of the Google
station in the country as a very exciting event
because of the company’s promise to provide
access in several public spaces.
He said that the country was happy with the
Google’s partnership and had been energising
the country’s markets with solar power,
especially in Aba, Kano, Lagos and Ibadan.
He said that access to information, tools of
education, business or commerce ensured that
a lot of gaps of inequalities and exclusion were
bridged.
Osinbajo recalled that a digital skills training
programme was launched in 2016, aimed at
training of 400,000 youths on basic digital skills,
adding that the government had since trained
more than one million persons in partnership
with Google and local digital firms.
He added that to scale up the support of private
players in the technology space, government
created the technology and creative industry
advisory group as part of the industrial council
to support young players in the industry.
He said that through the GEM programme of the
World Bank, the administration had given a-two-
million dollars lifeline to 79 start-ups across the
country, while the Bank of Industry had also
aside a N10 billion technology fund.
“We are looking at increasing the availability of
the fund and how to use all the development
finance banks to extend credit to innovation and
technology start-ups,’’ he said.
He said that government was committed to
building an ecosystem to drive innovation,
adding that government was training 5,000
developers as part of the country’s N-Power
tech programme with another 3,000 being
trained in animation.
The VP added that government was supporting
the students’ hub innovation challenge across
institutions to support student entrepreneurs.
The Country Director of Google, Juliet Ehimuan-
Chiazor, earlier said that the African digital story
was evolving and the organisation planned to
keep building products and programmes to
accelerate growth in Nigeria and Africa.
She recalled that in 2017, the company had
brought together Google’s global leadership
with over 200 key stakeholders in the industry.
She said that the organisation remained
committed to developing the digital ecosystem
and making its products more useful for
Africans.
“Most of Africa’s biggest challenges may not be
solved by methods of the past; with machine
learning and artificial intelligence these problems
can be solved in a radically different way both
faster and more cost effectively.
“For example, today with a smart phone and a
camera and existing apps, it is possible to
detect and prevent diseases, predict severe
weather conditions, like droughts, and also
address financial inclusion for the un-banked.’’
she said.
The Google chief said that the country would
continue to seek digital growth of Nigeria and
Africa as Nigeria currently had over 45 million
mobile internet users and future growth would
be driven by smart phones currently growing at
14 per cent annually.
She recalled that Google had committed to
training five million Africans as well as to train
the next developers of Africans and giving them
Google certification.
Ehimuan-Chiazor said that entrepreneurs in
Africa would create the jobs of the future, adding
that the company was willing to through its
Launch-pad Accelerator Africa give more than
three million dollars equity free support to more
than 60 early stage start-ups in the continent.
“Since the launch earlier this year, 12 start-ups
have graduated from the programme, working
across a range of industry.
“They have created 132 jobs and raised over
seven million dollars in funding and their
products are used by approximately 4.5 million
users,’’ she noted.
She also recalled the 20 million dollars pledged
to support non-profits in their jobs.
In a related development, the Vice President
declared open the Co-working Conference 2018
of innovators in Lagos.
At the conference, he stressed the need for
collaboration and partnerships among
entrepreneurs to boost productivity and
economic growth. (NAN)
announced plans by the Federal
Government to expand the broadband
coverage of the country through the
licensing of private broadband providers.
He said this while inaugurating the Google for
Nigeria event at the Landmark Centre, Lagos, on
Thursday.
He said that the measure would improve the
digital space and opportunities for innovation
and technological advancement of the country.
“Next week I will launch a climate innovation
centre in partnership with the Enterprise
Development Centre at the Lagos Business
School, here in Lekki Village.
“All of these form part of our ICT road map in
which the private sector is an important
stakeholder.
“The challenge remains connectivity, extending
broadband reach and making data cheaper.
“Our national broadband policy is the first step
we are taking.
“And so through the Nigerian Communications
Commission we are licensing a number of
infrastructure companies who will invest in
rolling out broad band infrastructure across
Nigeria.
“I believe that we can extend broadband
connectivity and reach significantly within a year
or two and we will be partnering in whatever
way we can with Google.
“And with Nigerian broadband providers like 21
Century Technologies, BCN, to quickly achieve
the level of connectivity that is required to
march the creative energy that is being released
in our country on a daily basis.
“Our goal is to create a data-driven digital
economy, one that will lead the way not just in
Africa but globally as well.’’
Osinbajo expressed the belief that Nigeria was
on the right path as the nation had the people
and the talent.
He added that there existed a government that
had seen the potential very clearly and showing
the determination to unlock that potential.
According to him, technology has put great
powers in our hands as individuals but more
importantly as co-creators and collaborators to
positively and dramatically change the course of
human existence.
Osinbajo noted that with technology , the
country could solve many problems confronting
the people.
He said that in addition, the country could
connect people, grow businesses, influence
good governance, and create better lives and a
better country for the citizens and for the future.
He said that the country was in many senses at
an exciting moment in history because of what
the young people were doing in innovation and
their sheer energy and talent.
Accordingly, the vice president the future the
country is looking well and it has already
arrived, is bound to be an exciting one for the
youth and adults.
He said that the government would be with the
youth in every step of the journey.
Osinbajo thanked Google for democratising the
country’s digital space, urging that such
innovations should be extended to many of the
nation’s markets where a large number of
people ply their trade.
He observed that through Artificial Intelligence,
the country was guaranteed more food and
better healthcare.
He said that every step made to make
technology available would lead to a quantum
leap in the African development story and a
major contribution to global stability and
growth.
He described the inauguration of the Google
station in the country as a very exciting event
because of the company’s promise to provide
access in several public spaces.
He said that the country was happy with the
Google’s partnership and had been energising
the country’s markets with solar power,
especially in Aba, Kano, Lagos and Ibadan.
He said that access to information, tools of
education, business or commerce ensured that
a lot of gaps of inequalities and exclusion were
bridged.
Osinbajo recalled that a digital skills training
programme was launched in 2016, aimed at
training of 400,000 youths on basic digital skills,
adding that the government had since trained
more than one million persons in partnership
with Google and local digital firms.
He added that to scale up the support of private
players in the technology space, government
created the technology and creative industry
advisory group as part of the industrial council
to support young players in the industry.
He said that through the GEM programme of the
World Bank, the administration had given a-two-
million dollars lifeline to 79 start-ups across the
country, while the Bank of Industry had also
aside a N10 billion technology fund.
“We are looking at increasing the availability of
the fund and how to use all the development
finance banks to extend credit to innovation and
technology start-ups,’’ he said.
He said that government was committed to
building an ecosystem to drive innovation,
adding that government was training 5,000
developers as part of the country’s N-Power
tech programme with another 3,000 being
trained in animation.
The VP added that government was supporting
the students’ hub innovation challenge across
institutions to support student entrepreneurs.
The Country Director of Google, Juliet Ehimuan-
Chiazor, earlier said that the African digital story
was evolving and the organisation planned to
keep building products and programmes to
accelerate growth in Nigeria and Africa.
She recalled that in 2017, the company had
brought together Google’s global leadership
with over 200 key stakeholders in the industry.
She said that the organisation remained
committed to developing the digital ecosystem
and making its products more useful for
Africans.
“Most of Africa’s biggest challenges may not be
solved by methods of the past; with machine
learning and artificial intelligence these problems
can be solved in a radically different way both
faster and more cost effectively.
“For example, today with a smart phone and a
camera and existing apps, it is possible to
detect and prevent diseases, predict severe
weather conditions, like droughts, and also
address financial inclusion for the un-banked.’’
she said.
The Google chief said that the country would
continue to seek digital growth of Nigeria and
Africa as Nigeria currently had over 45 million
mobile internet users and future growth would
be driven by smart phones currently growing at
14 per cent annually.
She recalled that Google had committed to
training five million Africans as well as to train
the next developers of Africans and giving them
Google certification.
Ehimuan-Chiazor said that entrepreneurs in
Africa would create the jobs of the future, adding
that the company was willing to through its
Launch-pad Accelerator Africa give more than
three million dollars equity free support to more
than 60 early stage start-ups in the continent.
“Since the launch earlier this year, 12 start-ups
have graduated from the programme, working
across a range of industry.
“They have created 132 jobs and raised over
seven million dollars in funding and their
products are used by approximately 4.5 million
users,’’ she noted.
She also recalled the 20 million dollars pledged
to support non-profits in their jobs.
In a related development, the Vice President
declared open the Co-working Conference 2018
of innovators in Lagos.
At the conference, he stressed the need for
collaboration and partnerships among
entrepreneurs to boost productivity and
economic growth. (NAN)
