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NCC to deploy more broadband facilities for evoting

By Fabain Tarpael
24 March 2016   |   11:18 pm
Nigerian Communications (NCC) is to deploy more broadband facilities that would create the necessary environment for the adoption of electronic voting processes in the country...
Prof. Danbatta NCC

Prof. Danbatta NCC

Nigerian Communications (NCC) is to deploy more broadband facilities that would create the necessary environment for the adoption of electronic voting processes in the country, according to Prof. Umar Danbatta, executive vice chairman, NCC.

Danbatta who stated this stated this at the 12th public lecture of The Electoral Institute (TEI), INEC, with the theme of the lecture was “ICT and Electronic Voting: Issues and Challenges”, said that the NCC was planning to deploy broadband facilities, in virtually all major cities and rural areas of the country.

The NCC Vice Chairman said that the action was in-line with the country’s National Broadband Plan.

He said that e-voting would not only improve on the efficacy and the confidence in the Nigeria’s electoral process but would also translate into free, fair and credible elections.

Danbatta observed that the existing paper ballot system of voting was ‘susceptible to human errors and influences.’

This according to him led INEC to the use of ICT platforms for biometric registration and authentication prior to voting during the 2015 election, “which significantly improved the democratic process.”

“However, during these elections, card readers generally failed to verify fingerprints. This is attributed to the ICT platforms.

“To address this from our part, the NCC, We have rolled out eight points agenda. Significant is the provision of efficient/effective access to ICT platforms.

“These include facilitating Broadband Penetration; Improving Quality of Service and; Promoting ICT Innovation and investment Opportunities.

”The need to foster methods that will address problems in our voting system has led TEI to explore e-voting which depends on ICT platforms for its operations,” Danbatta said.

He said that the next general elections of the country would depend heavily on the infrastructure that NCC was putting in place.

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