Journalists highlight gaps in Nigeria’s digital infrastructure, proffer solutions

Journalists have identified gaps in Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and preferred some solutions to the problem.

The gaps, among other things, exclude many Nigerians from digital platforms, subject many to poor service delivery and leave others stranded after falling victim of frauds and other hazards through various digital platforms.

DPI is a society-wide, digital capability that is key to essential to participation in society and markets as a citizen, entrepreneur, and consumer in a digital era.

The National Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Achike Chude, and two other Nigerian journalists – Ameh Ejekwonyilo and Usman Aliyu – said, on Tuesday, that the press has a duty to create awareness about the crucial role of digital infrastructure in nation-building.

They spoke at a forum tagged, ‘The status of DPI in Nigeria: Progress, Challenges & Prospect,’ in Abuja on Tuesday. The event hosted participants from the media, government, civil society organisations in Nigeria.

The forum was organised by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), a non-for-profit organisation based in Accra, Ghana, with funding support from Co-Develop.

In his remarks, Mr Chude called for data protection in the deployment of DPI for public goods like citizen identity, electronic payment systems and data exchanges.

Messrs Usman and Ejekwonyilo, who are fellows of the Media Foundation for West Africa Journalism Fellowship on DPI, decried inadequate investment in the deployment of digital public infrastructure.

Mr Ejekwonyilo, a PREMIUM TIMES journalist, said the inefficiency in the deployment of DPI in provision of government services like National Identity Number (NIN) system and poor digital payment services rob citizens of inclusion.

Speaking on the theme of the event, Mr Ejekwonyilo pointed out that regulators in Nigeria’s DPI sector are not accountable to the citizens, especially when there are complaints about poor service delivery by operators.

How Nigerian DPI lets Nigerians down

For instance, many Nigerians are currently grappling with enrolling on the National Identity Management Commission database, while others are complaining about difficulties in modifying their biodata.

Many electronic payment fraud complaints go unresolved by money deposit banks while the regulatory agency, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) does little or nothing to ameliorate the plight of complainants.

He noted the discrepancy between the responsibility of institutions tasked with enhancing digital assets and their actual performance.

Key players absent

Notably absent from the event despite prior invitation were key players such as the National Communications Commission (NCC), the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), and the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement Syatem Plc (NIBSS).

“The institutions that are saddled with the responsibility of improving the deployment of digital assets to ensure better service are not living up to expectations. And the points have been clearly registered here by the absence of the key stakeholders like the NCC, NIMC, NIBSS,” he said.

Exclusion

Mr Ejekwonyilo also drew attention to the inadequate deployment of digital assets, particularly in rural areas, citing examples from communities in Kuje and Abaji areas of Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, where residents face difficulties in accessing basic telecommunications services.

He emphasised the impact of poor digital services, especially during critical times such as the COVID-19 pandemic and electoral processes, exacerbating challenges faced by Nigerians.

“In the course of my fellowship , I was able to do a story about the area around Kuje and Abaji (both in Abuja), and I was shocked that residents have to climb rocks or trees to make calls and make e-payments; not just even after COVID as recently as February last year, before the elections.

“We all knew what happened with our currency redesign and how difficult it was for Nigerians – it was hell and it was even worse in the rural communities because of the poor digital services, talking about the telecommunication companies, because they are not deploying assets in the rural area,” he said.

He highlighted the reluctance of telecom operators to deploy assets in rural areas due to regulatory constraints and infrastructure limitations.

He said absence of 5G infrastructure deployment, despite its availability in other countries like South Africa, raised questions about Nigeria’s digital advancement as he has had the opportunity of experiencing both during the course of his fellowship with the the MTN Media Innovation Programme in 2022.

Moreover, concerns were also raised about the backlog in national identity registration and the inefficiencies in data management by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC). Issues such as server malfunctions and inadequate support for registration efforts have hindered progress in digital infrastructure development.

According to him, raising these concerns was not intended as criticism but rather as a patriotic responsibility to highlight flaws in the system and urge authorities to take corrective measures.

The MFWA’s call for government action may help address the digital infrastructure gap and ensure equitable access to essential services for all Nigerians.

Recommendations

Messrs Ejekwonyilo and Usman urged the NCC to ramp up regulation and enforcement measures on telecommunications companies, particularly focusing on expanding infrastructure deployment in rural communities.

He implored telecommunication companies to collaborate closely with the NCC, prioritising the expansion of broadband and mobile network infrastructure to underserved rural areas, thereby fostering greater connectivity and access to digital services.

He also called on the NIMC to expedite the enrolment process of Nigerians onto the national identity database and issuance of national identification numbers.

A lofty target of enrolling 200 million Nigerians was set, highlighting the urgency of bolstering the country’s identity management system.

Regulators and other players in the sector, including the NCC, telecom regulators, and infrastructure providers, were encouraged to engage in further discussions to address challenges related to rights of way, equipment vandalism, and enhance coordination on infrastructure rollout.

By fostering collaborative efforts, stakeholders can surmount existing obstacles and expedite digital infrastructure development across the nation.