iv. Rural Broadband Internet Project; and v. Accelerated Mobile Phone Expansion Project. Despite this growth, a substantial part of the country (approximately 20%) remains uncovered, therefore lacking access to even basic voice services. Furthermore, only a minor percentage of the population has access to qualitative multimedia broadband services including the Internet. 5.1.2 Information Technology The promulgation of the indigenization decree in 1977 led to the increase in the number of indigenous vendors in the computer business, and stimulated more aggressive marketing by the vendors which in turn resulted in a significant increase in the number of computer installations and usage in the country. Before 1999, development in the IT sector of Nigeria was minimal. For instance, regular internet users were less than 200,000 out of a population of over one hundred and sixty seven million people. The Federal Government therefore embarked on major reforms in the sector which included: i. Development and launch of National Policy on Information Technology in 2001 and the establishment of NITDA to implement the policy, co-ordinate, and regulate information technology development in the country; and ii. Establishment of the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA) in 2006 to increase Nigeria’s presence in the cyberspace. The National Assembly passed NITDA’s enabling Act into law in April, 2007. According to NITDA Act of 2007, the mandates of the Agency include the following: i. Creating a framework standardization, for application, the planning, coordination, research, monitoring, development, evaluation and regulation of Information Technology practices, activities and systems; ii. Providing guidelines to facilitate the establishment and maintenance of appropriate infrastructure for information technology and systems; !"#$%&"'()*+(,%'$-.(/(0120( ( ( ,"34(2:(