The past years have been an extraordinary time for the development of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in Nigeria – and with the increased use of mobile devices, Nigeria has realized, to a large extent the benefits of technology in some aspects of the economy.
Digital technologies, ICTs and broadband offer major opportunities to improve people’s living standard and enhance development outcomes.
Broadband has become a key 21st Century priority, and its transformative power is rapidly becoming an enabler for economic and social growth. It is an essential tool for people empowerment, creating an environment that nurtures technological innovation and trigger positive change in business processes as well as in society as a whole.
One of the most notable transformations has been in the financial sector. Financial institutions rely to a large extent on technology to meet the demands of their various service offerings. Broadband technology continually proffers the ease to do business in the financial sector.
The impact of Broadband services can be seen in various sectors ranging from Manufacturing, Lifestyle, Infrastructure, Agriculture, Financial services, Education, Government services, Civic engagement, health, public safety, security and the list goes on.
IoT has quickly become a vibe. The thought of being able to communicate with, connect, and manage untold amount of devices, networked via the Internet is now a reality. Interconnectivity of devices could range from the residential bathroom to the salon spa room to the airport waiting lounge.
The move from close network groups to enterprise network solutions to the very public Internet is happening at a rapid and somewhat disturbing pace, thus justifying the increasing awareness about security.
Broadband represents the vital final piece of the puzzle. The need for extended reach of bandwidth combined with potentially huge numbers of networked objects for IoT to thrive.
The Ministry of Communications alongside the NCC is keen on making sure Nigeria hits the 30% broadband penetration. In spite of the enormous contribution of the telecoms sector to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP), it is still constrained by a myriad of challenges which could derail the Federal Government’s target of 30 per cent broadband penetration by the end of the year 2018.
There is no getting away from this; a super-fast broadband is what is needed if you want IoT to run smoothly. So before a Nation can start thinking about IoT and all the functionality that comes with it, a decent broadband connection is a must and an increased penetration is expedient.
Broadband services as a backbone will create an enabling environment for software developers to build innovative applications for the expansion of IoT in Nigeria.
