Nigeria’s top tech professional body, the Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN), has called on the federal government to deploy 5G technologies to fast-track development and economic growth.
The tech body however demands that when the technology is introduced the federal government should ensure that the cost of compatible devices is affordable to Nigerians so that the citizens can benefit from the new technology
The body’s call is contained in a communique from its 2020 virtual technology assembly held in Lagos recently. The communique was signed by CPN president, Professor Charles Uwadia and secretary Allwell Achumba
The CPN assembly is a yearly gathering of Information Technology practitioners in Nigeria and Diaspora with the objective of discussing and strategizing on emergent issues in Information Technology in order to come out with recommendations and decisions that will impact positively on the industry and the nation.
The theme for this years’ Assembly was “Adoption Of 5G in Nigeria: The Technological and Regulatory Challenges”. The theme was carefully selected to address all the misgivings, misinterpretations and misconceptions surrounding the issue of adoption and deployment of 5G network in Nigeria. The Keynote was delivered by Engr. Deus Uche Osuji, General Manager, Network Services at MTN Nigeria.
The CPN communique said the deployment of 5G in Nigeria is capable of fast tracking Nigeria’s economic growth and full migration into a digital economy.
It said further that deployment of 5G in Nigeria has numerous advantages which include faster internet connection, smoother user experience and huge deployment of Information Technology to drive growth and development of industries.
The body wants the adoption of 5G network to government at all levels because Nigeria will derive huge socio-economic benefits from commercial deployment of the fifth generation (5G) networks, it the new networks will come with great potentials that will boost the entire spectrum of Nigeria’s socio economic ecosystem.
According to CPN, the adoption of 5G network in Nigeria will bring about transformation in the country in the area of smart city, smart transportation, efficiency in medicine as well as a lot of automation in respect of our appliances and devices with respect to Internet of Things (IoT).
The country will also benefit immensely from the adoption of the network in terms of faster speed, high latency and high capacity that will transform consumer and business experiences because the difference between all other existing generations of technologies such as 2G, 3G and 4G lies in speed and data capacity, the communique further argued.
It said the provision of good and adequate supply of power will enable the citizenry to enjoy the benefits of 5G network and derive huge socio-economic benefits from commercial deployment of the fifth generation (5G) networks.
CPN also wants the federal government to declare Information Technology and Telecommunications as a critical national infrastructure to facilitate the success of the national broadband strategy and tat governments at various levels should also intensify their efforts to embrace Information Technology with its attendant potentials of facilitating governance and eradicating corruption in the country .
