By 
The deployment of 5G technology is capable of fast-tracking Nigeria’s economic growth and migrating the country fully into a digital economy, Computer Professionals (Registration Council of Nigeria – CPN) has submitted in its 2020 Information Technology (IT) Assembly that held on Wednesday.
The annual gathering held virtually this year, for the first time, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The CPN Assembly is a yearly gathering of IT practitioners in Nigeria and diaspora with the objective of discussing and strategizing on emergent issues in I.
The highlight of the yearly meeting are the recommendations and decisions forming part of its communiqué that will impact positively on the industry and the country.
Ostensibly dismissing the conspiracy theories connecting 5G to coronavirus, the CPN submitted, as part of its communiqué, 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.”
The theme for this years’ CPN 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 communique signed jointly by President/Chairman-in-Council, Prof. Charles O. Uwadia, and Registrar/Secretary to Council, Allwell C. Achumba, expressed.
This year’s keynote addressed was delivered by General Manager, Network Services at MTN Nigeria., Mr. Deus Uche Osuji.
Other recommendations by the CPN include:
- 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 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.
- 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. Therefore, there is need for the Federal Government to intensify its efforts in addressing the power challenges in the country.
- The Federal Government is hereby enjoined 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 complete adoption of Information Technology as well as migration of Government operations from manual to digital will make the country to conform with the benchmark of Government operations in the 21st century
