Lagos dismisses controversy over 5G Wireless Technology

Science

Commissioner for Science and Technology, Hakeem Fahm during the briefing

Commissioner for Science and Technology, Hakeem Fahm during the briefing

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The Lagos State Government on Thursday dismissed controversy on the inherent danger posed by 5G wireless technology network to the health of residents.

The government said the controversies were retrogressive and unnecessary.

Commissioner for Science and Technology, Hakeem Fahm, who spoke at a 2020 Ministerial press briefing in Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, said that the state was fully committed to leading in ICT for greater good of Lagos State and the country.

According to him, “The 2G will support voice, text messaging and multi-media. The 3G went further with increase in capacity, about 20 megabits per second, now you go to the 4G with increase in capacity. With 5G, we are talking about increase in capacity, whereby if you take a movie, a two hour movie, it can be download in matter of ten seconds. 5G is highly efficient and highly desirable, you will be able to do more with less.

‘’In terms of the safety, World Health Organisation conducted studies on the electromagnetic radiation coming out of all the networks and finally they came out with a report that there is nothing wrong with all these wireless technology. Wireless is safe.’’

The commissioner stated that the government had re-invigorated its e-governance operations, with the Innovation of the LASG Campus Network, an enterprise infrastructure that connects thousands of computers from all MDAs within and around the secretariat for e-governance operations.

He disclosed that the upgrade optimised the current network to reliably and securely support new and existing applications and devices.

Fahm aded that the main objective of the optimization was to increase network availability, performance and security of the LASG Campus Enterprise Network, while at the same time stabilizing its ICT environment for a smarter Lagos.

Related News

He said this would improved online solution and that it innovated the First Ever Virtual Meeting, held by the Lagos State Executive Council in the history of governance in the state and country.

The commissioner highlighted that, the meeting was held via Zoom, a free HD meeting application with video and screen sharing for up to 100 people.

Speaking further on the role of Digital Technology in driving Lagos Economy, the Commissioner explained that the LASG Enterprise GIS Upgrade and Integrated Land Administration Automation Programme would provide a fully digital mapping platform and an integrated end-to-end land administration system.

He added that in order to ensure public services are delivered despite the large population in the State, the government recently launched two aerial Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), commonly called drones, to enhance digital mapping and accurate planning to achieve the present administration’s vision of achieving a Smart City status.

Also speaking at the briefing, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Innovation and Technology, Tunbosun Alake, said his office had focused on three core areas, namely: Launch of the Innovation and Technology Master Plan; Developing the Lagos State Science Research and Innovation Policy, and Creating the Lagos Solution Hub.

Alake revealed that the Innovation and Technology master plan is sub-divided into four main pillars – Access, Data, Infrastructure and Funding – that were required to enable a vibrant innovation ecosystem, stressing that the government has also  established the Research and Innovation Council to promote research and innovation activities in public and private institutions.

He informed that the present administration has approved the sum of N250 million seed capital for technology and innovation, tech start-ups and young innovators in the State.

The fund, according to him, was meant to assist those in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry push their entrepreneurial skills to the next level, as well as help in conducting researches that would solve issues of national significance.

 

Load more