The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has reiterated it’s irrevocable commitment, in collaboration with all relevant stakeholders in the telecom ecosystem, to the implementation of various regulatory initiatives and programmes, towards bridging the identified gaps and shortages in critical telecom infrastructure in the country.
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, EVC/CEO, of the NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, who stated this added that the overarching objective is to fulfil the Commission’s mandate and support extant and emergent policies and strategies of the Federal Government, focused on providing ubiquitous, accessible and affordable broadband services in Nigeria.
The EVC/CEO was speaking at an in-house interview, which took place at the Commission’s Head Office in Abuja recently.
He emphasized the centrality of infrastructure to the telecom service provisioning by asserting that the availability of broadband in sufficiency was non-negotiable and irreducible in the nation’s strategy towards delivering pervasive telecom services.
Danbatta also contextualize government’s efforts towards addressing infrastructure gaps, commending both state and non-state actors for the vision, diligence and continued dedication to the implementation of the Nigerian National Broadband Plan, NNBP, 2020 to 2025, an initiative of the Federal Government, driven by the NCC and conceived to address infrastructure gaps in the telecom and ICT sector.
The EVC/CEO said that he was gratified that the new plan particularly took into consideration, the identified gaps and challenges in its precursor, the National Broadband Plan 2013 to 2018, which implementation the NCC was equally central to.
He added that one of the identified gaps to robust connectivity was that inadequate infrastructure remained a bane to achieving desired broadband penetration to boost access to services that will enhance economic growth and development.
Emphasizing that the NCC recognises the importance of infrastructure expansion, Danbatta averred that this explains the Commission’s unequivocal commitment and desire to see the licensed Infrastructure Companies, InfraCos, work speedily and with precision to cascade fibre to the hinterland, in order to enhance robust telecom service provision.
He added that the InfraCo licensees, expectedly, also prioritize stipulated licensing conditions to ensure expected milestones set by the Commission are achieved.
To him, the Commission’s target for licensing the infraCos was to ensure the deployment of fibre infrastructure needed for pervasive broadband penetration across the 774 local government areas, which he said will ensure access to telecoms services in the hinterlands of the country, and by so doing, address the challenges of access confronting the unserved and underserved areas of the country.
The NCC boss also placed on record the desire of the Commission for inclusiveness as seminal to erecting sustainable telecom architecture, which he said is critical in ensuring the achievement of the Federal Government’s target on digital access and financial inclusion.
Dnabatta added that one visible area of beneficial financial service, riding on telecom infrastructure, is the provision of Unstructured Supplementary Service Data, USSD, for financial transactions across various financial institutions’ platforms; a feat, Danbatta asserted, has brought ease to financial transactions.
This was just as he recalled that the NCC is providing support for e-payment initiatives and policies of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, including the e-Naira project, which is the digital currency issued and regulated by the apex bank.
He added, “So, the Commission is committed to ensuring inclusiveness by ensuring the provision of affordable and pervasive accessibility to the Internet as emphasised by the International Telecommunication Union, ITU, and the United Nations, UN.
“We are aware that until commensurate infrastructure is deployed in the country, the country may not hit the required target necessary for the desired economic development.”
Danbatta additionally stated that the NCC has recorded remarkable progression with respect to contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP, aside facilitating investment, enhancing Quality of Service, QoS, to enhance consumer quality of experience and stakeholder satisfaction in line with the expectations of the Strategic Management Plan 2020 to 2024.
He assured that the Commission will heightened efforts in all areas of the Plan as streamlined in new Strategic Vision Implementation Plan, SVIP 2021 to 2025, including facilitating strategic collaboration and partnering through which it has forged quantifiable strategic alliances with its ever-expanding array of stakeholders.
Commenting on the NCC’s pioneering strides in the deployment of Fifth Generation, 5G, network in sub-Saharan Africa, Danbatta explained that the rollout of 5G network in Nigeria will require more infrastructure for the service to reach all parts of the country, calling for concerted efforts and unwavering commitment of all stakeholders in the industry for the nation to achieve steady, timely and accurate deployment of 5G services, because of its benefits to individuals, businesses and the growth of the country.
