Prices of data and telecommunication services are expected to crash by 40 per cent following steps taken by the Federal Government to attract huge local and foreign investments, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ibrahim Pantami has assured.

According to the Minister, the government has addressed two critical challenges in the telecommunications industry, particularly Right of Way (RoW) Charges and infrastructural protection and development.

Pantami made the remarks while declaring open a week-long training programme organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) for ICT/Telecomm reporters in Abuja.

He said improvement on infrastructure has pushed up broadband penetration from 30 per cent to 40.18 within the past one year.

The Minister said the government is targeting 40 percent reduction in data prices and other telecommunication services between now and 2025; in a training programme, which began at the Public Service Institute of Nigeria, Kubwa, Abuja, with the theme “Digital skills in news reporting for ICT journalists”.

He asserted that it was part of the policy measures taken by the present administration to promote digital economy and improve the living standard of the citizenry.

The Minister said the Federal Government would be putting emphasis on skill acquisition and development, rather than certificates and degrees, stressing by doing so millions of jobs would be created in all sectors of the economy, adding that the training for newsmen was part of government’s contribution towards upgrading the skills and knowledge of members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm as the new knowledge acquired during the programme would benefit the larger society.

Dr Isa Ibrahim Pantami added that the roles of journalist towards a knowledge-based economy cannot be over emphasised, pointing out that while professionalism, fairness, and justice in reportage of news and events are critical, journalism remains the key to stable democracy and good governance.