The Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami has called for the transformation of the Abuja City of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, into a Smart City to compete with global technological advancement.
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that a simple Google serve reveals that a smart city is a city that uses technology to provide services and solve city problems.
A smart city does things like improve transportation and accessibility, improve social services, promote sustainability, and give its citizens a voice.
Speaking at the closing session of this year’s Gulf Information Technology Exhibition, GITEX, in Dubai, United Arab Emirate, UAE, Mr Pantami said aside from making life easier for residents, Smart City comes with a lot of security advantages.
To this end, Mr Pantami said he had discussed the idea with the FCT Minister Mohammed Bello, expressing his optimism that the minister would see to the transformation of the Abuja City or a creation of Smart City within the FCT.
He said: “I have visited the FCT minister once on the idea of creating a ‘Smart Abuja’ or creating a ‘Smart City’ within the FCT which will be automated and digitalized.
“We also have digitally inclined governors that I want to engage, sell the idea to them as well as encourage them to visit the place and see.
“We already have estate developers that are already working on smart estates in the FCT one of which will be commissioned in December.
“This means we can go beyond an estate to a full-blown city or town as the case may be.”
