FG, Anambra cooperate on Smart State Initiative The Federal Government and Anambra State have agreed to work together to create an enabling environment that will position Anambra as a ‘smart state’. The partnership will lead to the accelerated rollout of critical Information and Communication Technology infrastructure across the state. This was made known on Monday, through Mrs. Efem Nkanga, the Senior Special Assistant (Media) to the Minister of Communication Technology, Dr. Omobola Johnson. A statement made available to our correspondent, and signed by Nkanga, indicated that the Ministry of Communication Technology and the Broadband Council, chaired by Johnson, were already promoting the ‘Smart State Initiative’ across the country. The initiative, according to the statement, “is geared towards engaging governors and relevant authorities at the state and federal level to address the issue of multiple taxation impeding the rollout of critical infrastructure across Nigeria.” The main aim of the SSI, it was gathered, is to ensure that effective measures are adopted to remove arbitrary charges and eradicate multiple taxations\ across the nation. Anambra is one of the smart states selected by the Broadband Council to facilitate ICT infrastructure rollout critical for development. Other smart states selected by the Broadband Council include Bayelsa, Gombe, Katsina and Ondo. Lagos has already reduced Right of Way charges by 85 per cent. Bayelsa has already signed a Memoradum of Understanding on the SSI. “The agreement with Anambra will foster an enabling environment for the deployment of communications infrastructure that will lead to a reduction in the cost of network deployment and an increase in the rollout of such networks to underserved commercial centres and rural areas,” the statement read. It also read, “In so doing, an enabling environment will be created that will increase broadband penetration -both fixed and mobile -and increase access to such services at affordable prices for customers, creating digitally enabled urban areas called ‘Smart Cities’. “Those states that provide such an enabling environment will be labelled ‘Model States’ and afforded the utmost support in achieving these objectives. In exchange, participating states can expect to see growth in economic activity and productivity and subsequently the positive development of the state.” The statement added that the initiative would cover the following: standardised fees for site building and approvals within the state, reduction in fees and possibility of waiver for RoW in deserving instances, and implementation of a Dig-Once Policy. It will also cover the promotion of collocation between operators in the state and connectivity to state institutions within one kilometre of the given RoW. Recall that the ministry was working to ensure that the bottlenecks that mitigate service quality delivery are removed. To tackle quality of service issues in the industry, the ministry, in partnership with the Ministry of Works, developed new RoW guidelines for Federal Government roads to enable operators have unencumbered means of laying fibre optics which is critical for infrastructure development and quality of service. Copyright PUNCH.All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Contact: editor@punchng ift.tt/1kXNXBl ift.tt/1ls1hrf [[Boost your social presence with NAIRALIKES nairalikes ]] #nigeria x #nairalikes #vanguardng
Posted on: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 00:05:18 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015