From 2015 to April 2022, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) transferred N463 billion to the federal government’s consolidated revenue fund.
When he led the management team on a visit to the incoming Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. William Alo, in Abuja, the NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman, Prof. Umar Danbatta, revealed this.
After being assigned to the ministry, Danbatta briefed Alo on the state of the industry. He revealed that the commission was concentrating on its Strategic Vision (Implementation) Plan SVP 2021 – 2025, which took into account the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy 2020-2030 and National Broadband Plan 2020-2025.
According to the EVC, SVP has five key areas of focus, including improving operational effectiveness and regulatory excellence, facilitating infrastructure provision for the digital economy, promoting fair competition, inclusive growth, and investment, as well as facilitating strategic collaboration.
Reuben Muoka, the NCC’s director of public affairs, signed a statement that listed achievements since 2015, including teledensity, broadband penetration, and the industry’s significant contribution to the GDP, which increased from 8.5% in the fourth quarter of 2015 to 12.61% in the fourth quarter of 2021. The sector also attracted more than $2 billion in foreign direct investment.
The commission also highlighted the recent, successful auction of 3.5GHz spectrum for 5G, the licensing of seven suppliers of fiber optic infrastructure, and the addition of 38, 296 kilometers of fiber optic to the nation’s spectrum.
In order to provide 15 million Nigerians with access to telecommunications services, he pointed out that the number of access gap clusters in the nation had been cut from 217 to 114, and that the deployment of fiber optics had increased from 47,000 kilometers to 54,725 kilometers.
In addition, seven VSAT gateway earth stations have been approved to expand broadband penetration. According to Danbatta, the number of 3G and 4G base transceiver stations (BTS) in the country has climbed from less than 30,000 in 205 to 53,460.
He informed the new Perm Sec that landing permissions had been granted to 923 non-GSO space stations and 53 Geo Satellite Orbits (GSO) space stations between April 2015 and April 2022, and that the commission under him had also sent N463 billion to the CRF during that time.
The new permanent secretary responded by praising the NCC’s leadership for the agency’s remarkable achievements, which have given Nigeria a remarkable international reputation and elevated the telecoms regulator to the forefront of the country’s efforts to achieve forward-looking national economic growth.
As of now, so nice. The NCC’s strategic significance as a body overseeing the Nigerian telecommunications sector is well known throughout the whole nation and beyond. And, of course, given the government’s efforts to diversify its economy, we are aware that between oil and communications, the latter is increasingly taking over in terms of providing revenue for the nation,” he said.
Alo claimed that over the past five years, the level of service has significantly increased. “The economy generally benefits from your efforts. Therefore, the NCC and the operators are the first port of call when you talk about the digitalization of the economy.
He urged the commission’s leadership to keep up the good job and work to close any infrastructure gaps that might exist between the country’s serving and underserved populations.
