The Minister of Communication, Mr Adebayo Shittu, on Tuesday said Nigeria would launch two additional satellites to space to improve local communication capacity.

Shittu said businesses in Nigeria were skeptical of linking the only satellite Nigeria has presently for fear of any crash.

The minister said at a town hall meeting in Kaduna on the one year anniversary of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration that adequate legislation would be made to protect investment and patronage.

He said that the legislation would compel Nigerian institutions to host their information locally rather than patronising foreign companies.

Shittu said the administration would encourage e-government to cut bureaucratic bottlenecks.

He added that the government would invest N2.1 billion to re-position the Galaxy Backbone Limited, which serves as the public service connectivity clearing house.

“Already, we are making effort to get funding both locally and from foreign partners for the completion of the project.

“Once it is completed it would be possible for government to store all its information and to be able to connect within government.”

The minister announced plans to turn the Nigeria Postal Service into a conglomerate, by fully utilising its vast assets located in 2,500 towns and cities across Nigeria.

According to him, the plan includes creation of a NiPOST bank to promote financial inclusiveness in rural areas.

“To allow for rural inquisitiveness in financial services, if you have your parent in the rural area without bank you can now use the post office to send money and in real time the money is being received.

“We will also have NiPOST Insurance to take care of insurance services; and NiPOST Logistics and Transport Service.”

He said that service would be fully equipped with vehicles to enhance its services in line with global trend.

“If you look at the NIPOST facilities, they are virtually in every location.

“We think that we can now have NIPOST properties where private sectors can invest in constructing high rise residential buildings, malls and shopping complex on a Public Private Partnership basis.”

He said that this would bring in a lot of money for government and improve the nation's economy. “Soon NIPOST would become big business, a conglomerate.”

Shittu told the audience that the Digital Bridges Institute located in Abuja would be turned into an ICT University.

He said it would be dedicated to producing high level manpower for the ICT industry in Africa.

“Opportunities would b opened for our children to enlist in the university to train for top jobs in the ICT industry.” (NAN)

•Photo shows Bayo Shittu.

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