Anambra govt requests internet service providers to register with State ICT Agency
The government has urged all higher educational institutions that offer any kind of Internet service in Anambra State—known as Internet Service Providers, or ISPs—as well as other local network operators to register with the State ICT Agency.
In a press release issued on Monday in Awka, the ICT Agency’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata, noted that the agency is looking to strengthen its ties with ISPs and higher education institutions after highlighting the crucial roles they play in the realisation of Mr. Governor, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, CFR’s digitization vision.
The ISPs and higher education institutions in Anambra State should make an effort to register, according to the statement, as the ICT Agency plans to entice an Internet Exchange Point (IXP) and establish a Point of Presence (PoP) in the state that is focused on domesticating Internet traffic and localising content, which will ultimately result in a win-win situation for everyone, including the providers and end users.
The Agency will also work to persuade major firms in the content industry, including Netflix, Google, Meta, and others, to host some of their material in the nation.
Read Also: Ex-NURTW leader urges NLC to steer clear of union internal crisis
Overall, we think this will make it considerably more affordable for state-based ISPs, educational institutions, and network operators to acquire internet capacity, said Agbata.
He went on to say that given the partnerships the state government has struck to ensure that high-speed broadband becomes a reality in Anambra State, it is also essential that the state ICT agency maintain an exhaustive directory of all local internet service providers.
The agency is “clear about the multiple benefits that all registered organisations stand to gain through this collaboration, including capacity building, knowledge sharing, ability to scale operations, global partnerships, among others,” the statement reads. “The Agency understands how strategic the ISPs are to the achievement of the ‘Everything Technology and Technology Everywhere’ mantra of Mr Governor.”
