Nigeria’s Mobile Big Data initiative will boost telecoms sector, create jobs-FG

The Mobile Big Data Policy of the federal government will lift the telecommunications industry as it stands to derive immensely benefits from it, says Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, Mr Musa Istifanus.

Is¹qqltifanus explained that the National Mobile Big Data Analytics Program was designed to enable diverse stakeholders within and outside Nigeria to derive value from the large volume of Mobile Positioning Data (MPD) which is in the custody of the Licensed Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in Nigeria.

Speaking during a virtual public engagement on the draft Nigeria Mobile Data policy prepared by the National Technical Working Group (NTWG), the Permanent Secretary opined that Mobile Big Data possess massive benefits for the public good, including arming statistical bodies with new statistical data and insights.

He says the ministry has taken steps towards realizing these benefits by setting up an NTWG to articulate a roadmap for the development and use of MPD for official statistics as well as other benefits.

Earlier, he had pointed out that National Mobile Big Data Analytical Program would promote innovation and modernization of national statistical systems, promote the use of data and analytics by government agencies and increase opportunities for a new data science service and jobs for Nigeria youth.

“the data deluge resulting in human activities, the Internet of Things (IoT) can be transformed into actionable data that is capable of improving the quality of lives and conditions of society as a whole”, he said.