The Katsina State government has installed a 27-km fiber network in Katsina metropolis to provide high-speed internet connectivity across government establishments in the state for more efficient public service delivery.
At the launch of the facility in Katsina, Governor Dikko Umar Radda explained that the project is one in a series of investments to harness Information Technology to modernize government operations and expand the state’s economy.
He said the project worth N4.7 billion was executed at no cost to the state government as it waved the Right of Way charges for the IT firm as part of incentives to attract investors to the sector.
Radda noted that building a fiber network is part of infrastructure investments necessary to support his administration’s digital transformation drive aimed at enhancing the state’s capacity to compete in the sector which is a leading contributor to GDP in developed countries.
“The world is fast changing, and in the modern global economy, particularly in developed and developing countries, information technology is taking the lead in terms of contribution to GDP while we in this part of the world are lagging behind.
“It is therefore important for us to take advantage of ICT, this is why we are doing our best to invest in the sector to provide our young people with an opportunity to grow within the ladder of the global economy”, Radda said.
The governor disclosed plans to extend the fiber network to the 33 other local government headquarters to enable local councils and more communities across the state to take advantage of the digital transformation and its potential to spur economic growth.
The Director General of the Katsina State Directorate of ICT, Malam Naufal Ahmad, explained that the fiber optic cable was laid across strategic points within the metropolis to connect the State Secretariat, Government House, State House of Assembly complex, High Court and other key government establishments.
He said going forward, schools, hospitals, businesses and households will also be connected to the broadband to enhance accessibility and affordability of high speed internet for citizens.
Naufal pointed out that the state government also plans to expand its energy sector side-by-side with investments in ICT, to fully achieve its objectives in digital technology and innovation which includes building a tech driven economy that can compete globally.
Isma’il Adamu
