By Chimezie Godfrey
The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has called on on the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, to set up a mechanism for the development of a National Policy for Community Networks in Nigeria.
The Executive Director, CITAD, Y. Z. ya’uade tthis call Wednesday in Kaduna, at a press conference on the urgent for national policy on community networks to address the digital divide in the country.
He noted that in Nigeria, as in many other countries, technology rollout is market-driven, meaning that companies are willing to invest in infrastructure for connectivity only for areas where profits are assured and they are unlikely to invest in poor communities or communities that are sparsely populated that the telecommunication traffic cannot support profitability.
Yau said while this is not unique to Nigeria, many countries have solved the problem by deploying other models of rollout such as community networks to compliment market driven rollout.
He pointed out that community networks are telecommunication infrastructure designed, deployed and managed by communities to meet their communication need.
According to him, globally these community networks are helping many countries such as in Kenya, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico to address the internal dimensions of their digital divide.
He blamed the failure of community networks to take roots in Nigeria on the absence of a national policy to guide their emergence and provide a supportive environment for communities to leverage various opportunity to bridge the connectivity gaps in their community.
He therefore called the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, to set up a mechanism for the development of a National Policy for Community Networks in the country.
He said,”CITAD has in the last eight months been engaging the policy makers especially the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, the telecommunication regulators, the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) and other stakeholders in the country such as NITDA, USPF and Galaxy Backbone with the aim of arriving at a consensus on developing a national policy for community networks.
“They all agreed on its desirability, noting that community networks will help greatly in accelerating efforts of government to address the digital divide and to prime the country to achieve its digital transformation agenda.
“So far, we have understanding and promises but no action. We would like to use this press conference to specifically remind all the actors to match their promises with action. In particular, we would like to:
“Call on the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy to set up a mechanism for the development of a National Policy for Community Networks
“Call on the NCC to develop guidelines and regulations for the operation of community networks in the country and to allow communities to access and use TV White Space (TVWS) for the purposes of setting up community networks
“Enjoins the Galaxy Backbone PLC to provide communities with access to its backbone for them to use as their community networks getaways.
“The USPF to support the upgrading of the many community digital centres they set up in the country to serve as nucleus of community networks for communities that desirous and passionate to set up such in their communities
“NITDA to work with communities at grassroots level to drive digital literacy which is critical for the effective utilization of digital technology and which is the foundation upon which the digital transformation agenda of the country will rest.
“Called on the private sector operators in the sector to as, their corporate social responsibility support communities building community networks.
“Call on all other stakeholders, including political office holders to support communities to go digital as critical contribution to community development.”
Earlier, Yau noted that the international dimension of the digital divide remains a major point of the global struggle for justice which requires both developed and developing countries working together to address it, but added that the internal dimension of the digital divide is what “we as citizen and as a country can and should addressed.”
He said that the reality of the internal divide of the digital divide is routinely acknowledged by government and its agencies, adding that by government statistics, only about half of Nigerians have access to the internet.
According to him, this means that within the country a population of about 100 million is already left behind and excluded from the benefits of the internet. Let me illustrate how those who are left behind from the benefits of digital technology are losing by using two obvious examples.
“One is about national identity. For years now, the National Identity Management Agency has been trying to issue national identity cards to Nigerians and as of today, less than half of Nigerians have been able to be enrolled.
“The major reason is that because it is IT based people in rural areas where internet infrastructure is lacking find it difficult to be enrolled. Such people are identity excluded and what that means is that they cannot access banking and financial services. They will even face problems when travelling.
The second is about education.
“Today all those who wish to access higher education, have to sit and pass the computer based examination of JAMB. For many communities, their children graduate from secondary school without seeing the computer until they enter the JAMB examination hall.
“Clearly, they are disadvantaged and often get blocked out from the education system at that stage.There are many reasons for the digital divide but one of those relate to the model of technology rollout we use,” he said.
Yau disclosed that the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) has said there are 114 communities where GSM signals are either weak or not at all.
He said these are called underserved and unserved communities, adding that these communities could, if there is a policy, that would provide clear rules for interconnectivity, frequency and spectrum allocation and use, among others could mobilize their own resources and create their communication infrastructure to address their need.
The theme of the conference is ,”Economic and social inclusion and human rights, Universal access and meaningful connectivity,”
The CITAD Executive Director noted that both the theme and the two main focus areas were carefully selected on the basis of the realization that the internet is not just a means of communication.
“It is a major means of economic and social transformation. Consistent with this realization of the internet as tool for social and economic transformation, the UN has been at the forefront of the advocacy that no one should be left behind or excluded from the benefits of digital technology.
“That is why as early as 2005, it set up the Digital Solidarity Fund to finance ICT development to bridge the international dimension of the digital divide,” he said.
