Anambra state has initiated the enforcement of zero charges for the Right of Way (RoW) per meter, paving the way for a digital economy boost in the state.
This development positions Anambra as the pioneer state in the Southeastern region of Nigeria to adopt the exemption of RoW charges per linear meter.
This departure from the National Economic Council’s 2020 recommendation of N145 per linear meter highlights the state’s distinctive approach. It also follows the steps of other states such as Kwara, which slashed its RoW fee from N5,500 per linear meter to N1 per kilometer of fiber in 2020.
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Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata, the Managing Director and CEO of the Anambra State ICT Agency remarked that this action aligns with the Governor’s vision of ‘Everything Technology and Technology Everywhere.’
Agbata emphasized that, in collaboration with Globe International Carriers Limited (GICL), the ICT Agency has successfully deployed around 200 kilometers of fiber optic cables in the first phase of Anambra. The focus is on connecting Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of the Government (MDAs), educational institutions, and other clusters.
He further highlighted that Governor Charles Soludo has displayed significant interest in adopting modern strategies to overcome barriers to digital access, thereby reversing the decline of infrastructure in the state.
This initiative is aimed at facilitating the expansion of WiFi Hotspots to government offices, schools, and communities, thereby diversifying the economy and utilizing digital services for eGovernment, commerce, education, and innovation.
The head of the ICT Agency also underscored that the elimination of Right of Way charges by the State Government marks the initial stride toward establishing a digital economy that will attract key investors, innovators, and businesses to the state.
“His Excellency, Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo has always demonstrated determination to turn Anambra State into a digitally driven economy. The broadband drive is the one of the many ways to do it and at the same time it connects to other plans. Yes, because without connectivity eGovernment programmes would become a mirage”.
“Africa’s digital landscape is changing at a rapid rate and Anambra State is no different. The Governor approved the implementation of the zero charges on Right of Way because he understands the benefits are enormous. We are partnering with GICL which is giving us a lot of connectivity capacity that we are hopeful will leapfrog the State’s digital economy agenda.
“This will power the Governor’s lodge and by extension, a local government and a university, as a pilot, he said.
Agbata also said that the agency is actively engaged in the process of standardizing the digital assets of the State Government by transitioning all official Government websites.
Concerning this, he stated that the Agency has commenced the comprehensive migration of all Government assets to the internet domain name anambrastate.gov.ng.
“Prior to the Soludo administration, Government digital assets were scattered all over the Internet, with different domain names and on different servers,” Agbata said.
“Today, most MDAs have been brought under the standard domain anambrastate.gov.ng in line with Federal Government policies amongst other achievements.”