The Federal Government has concluded plans to tap into Nigerians living in the Diaspora in a bid to surpass the 30 per cent broadband penetration set in the National Broadband Plan by the end of the year.
The Minister of Communications, Mr. Adebayo Shitttu, said this at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday to announce the Nigerian Diaspora Direct Investment Summit scheduled to hold in London in April.
Shittu stated that many Nigerians living abroad were endowed with both the technical expertise and the financial resources to make a difference in the country’s broadband and telecommunications architecture.
The minister said because of poor electricity supply in the country, newer technologies were required for broadband connectivity in the rural communities where the customer base might not justify investment in multi-layer power generation by existing telecommunications operators.
He added that the summit was being packaged to facilitate new investment commitments in the country by Nigerians living in the Diaspora with the aim of increasing broadband connectivity, creating jobs and enhancing the economy.