Good afternoon and welcome to this grant signing between the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, USTDA, and two Nigerian telecommunications entities – ipNX and Aldreda Fields.
It is a pleasure for me to be here with Todd Abrajano, USTDA’s Chief Operating Officer and Head of Agency, to announce these two grant awards for important projects in the telecommunications sector.
I would like to welcome the Honorable Minister for Communications and the Digital Economy to this event.
I would also like to welcome the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission.
Congratulations to both grantees for your commitment to contributing to developing telecom infrastructure in Nigeria. The importance of connectivity is highlighted by the nature of this grant signing and the crucial role that virtual communication networks have played in these unprecedented times.
Both projects that we are here to witness demonstrate the commitment of the U.S. Mission to Nigeria to supporting local solutions to Nigerian challenges. We are pleased that U.S. firms will be supporting the development of these projects, integrating the innovation and expertise that American companies bring in this critical infrastructure sector.
We are also pleased that these projects will support the development of Nigeria’s telecoms infrastructure and help to achieve the goals of the National Broadband Plan. The U.S. Government has committed significant resources to improving telecoms infrastructure in Nigeria. This support is crucial as we believe that investment in critical ICT projects will strengthen the resiliency outlined in Nigeria’s economic sustainability plan.
We wish both grantees success as you proceed to implement these projects and we reiterate the U.S. Government’s support to developing infrastructure in Nigeria.