Abuja — The Federal Government yesterday in Abuja inaugurated the National Communication Policy Review Committee with a view to reviewing the current policy.

Inaugurating the committee in his office, the Minister of State for Information and Communication, Alhaji Aliyu Ikra Bilbis said, "the import of setting up the committee is that the review of the current policy was overdue. The review of a National Telecommunication Policy, therefore, is a very important assignment of this ministry, which calls for careful and painstaking efforts to bequeath a dynamic policy document for the industry, and the nation".

Bilbis stated that, "the review will suggest that some of the areas of focus and emphasis as articulated in September 2000 policy may have been eroded with time, perhaps, there are more compelling issues arising from the global fast telecom growth, the evolution of new media and the challenge of information security that will need to be accommodated in our new policy regime".

Also speaking, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), Ernest Ndukwe assured that, the communication will work in concert with the committee in formulating a new policy for the communication sector as a path to meeting global standard". Stressing that, "a review of the nation's communication policy will chart the way for a better positioned telecom sector".

Speaking in the same vein, the Chairman of Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Engr Gbenga Adebayo reiterated the need to focus on infrastructural development, security of infrastructure and regulation of the telecom sector, maintaining that, "effective regulation of the sector has becoming necessary in terms of rapid changes, regulation in this sense must be smarter", he said.

Meanwhile, Editor, THISDAY, The Saturday Newspaper, Ijeoma Nwogwugwu is to serve as a member of the committee along with 25 other members who are to brainstorm the performance of the 2000 policy and bring up a new National Communication Policy that will lead a wide spectrum and availability of ICT facilities in all parts of the country as well as situate the Nigerian telecom sector among global standard.

The committee has Engr Isaiah Mohammed, a former Executive Director of Nitel as Chairman, Engr Eddie Amana as Vice Chairman, while the Legal Adviser of the Ministry is too served as the Secretary. Other members of the committee include Roy Murray-Bruce of Silverbird Group, Prof Raymond Akwule, Engr Stephen Bello, Funso Fayomi, Goni Usman a USA based telecom expert among others.

The 2000 National Communication Policy which provides for a three-year short term and five year medium term policy which was supposed to have been reviewed is focus on the provision of telephone services for the Nigerian populace, and provision of attractive investment climate in the sector. According to the Minister, "among its short term policy objectives was to meet and surpass the International Telecommunication Unions recommended teledensity figure of 1 line to 100 of population in three years. It is expected that the new review will pay attention to areas of ICT for all, broadband and security as it concerns telecom. The committee is expected to summits its report in three months time.