The Computer Professionals (Registration Council of Nigeria) (CPN) has stated that the deployment of 5G technology in Nigeria is capable of fast-tracking the country’s economic growth and migrating her fully into a digital economy.
In the recommendations contained in a communiqué issued at the end of its 2020 Virtual Information Technology (IT) Assembly held in July, the group said it carefully selected its theme for the year “Adoption Of 5G in Nigeria: The Technological and Regulatory Challenges,” to address all the misgivings, misinterpretations and misconceptions surrounding the issue of adoption and deployment of 5G network in Nigeria.
The CPN noted in the communiqué signed by Prof. Charles O. Uwadia and Allwell C. Achumba, President/Chairman-in-Council and Registrar/Secretary to Council respectively, that the 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.
“CPN is now recommending 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. The new networks will come with great potentials that will boost the entire spectrum of Nigeria’s socio-economic ecosystem.
“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 the 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 group said in the communiqué.
The CPN further noted that the provision of a 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, adding that there is need for the Federal Government to intensify its efforts in addressing the power challenges in the country.
It enjoined the Federal Government to ensure that the cost of 5G compatible devices is affordable to Nigerian so that the citizens can benefit from the new technology
“The Federal Government of Nigeria should declare Information Technology and Telecommunications as a critical national infrastructure to facilitate the success of the national broadband strategy.
“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,” the body further recommended.
The CPN called for the complete adoption of Information Technology as well as the migration of Government operations from manual to digital, stressing that this will make the country conform with the benchmark of Government operations in the 21st century.