Minister of Communications and Digital
Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, who also wears the hat of the Chairman,
National Frequency Management Council (NFMC), presented the official document
on the 3.5GHz spectrum allocation to the Commission at a public event which
took place at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja on Thursday, February 17, 2022.
The 5G spectrum allocation document was
received by the Chairman, NCC Board of Commissioners, Prof. Adeolu Akande, and
the Commission’s Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, on
behalf of the Commission.
Speaking at the event, which also witnessed
the public presentation of the National Policy on 5G Networks, a document
earlier launched by President Muhammadu Buhari on January 25, 2022, the
Minister commended the NCC leadership for ‘a transparent, fair and credible
3.5GHz spectrum auction’ conducted on December 13, 2021.
Pantami stated that the NFMC, which he
chairs, has the responsibility for managing the allocation of commercial and
non-commercial spectrum resources in the country while the NCC is facilitating
the deployment of spectrum in the country. Hence, the Council decided to allocate
the assigned spectrum for 5G network to the NCC to enable it assign same to the
winners of the 3.5GHz spectrum auction.
Pantami also stated that the 5G network,
when deployed, will bring a lot of benefits and opportunities that will
engender accelerated growth and smart living in the country. He asserted that
the technology will bring substantial network improvements, including higher
connection speed, mobility and capacity, as well as low-latency capabilities.
Earlier in his remarks, Akande appreciated
the Minister for his efforts in ensuring that every clog that could hinder
successful deployment of 5G services are addressed, thus paving the way for
mutual understanding and trust among all stakeholders to ensure that the
derivable benefits of the new technology are harnessed timely for the nation’s
socio-economic development.
He said the effective implementation of the
National Policy on 5G, which the Commission is driving, will help in the
actualization of the national targets in the Nigerian National Broadband Plan
(NNBP) 2020-2025, the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy 2020-2030,
as well as other sectoral policies designed to enhance Nigeria’s digital
culture.
The EVC of NCC, Danbatta, while expressing
appreciation to the Minister and all stakeholders for the role played in the
emerging 5G network policy implementation initiatives, said the collective
efforts of the private sector and government support will make deployment of 5G
network transform every aspect of the nation’s economy. He was optimistic that
the expected transformation will be greater than what the nation witnessed with
the 1G, 2G, 3G and 4G.
Recalling the diligence that attended the
implementation of 5G policy by the NCC since the process started in 2019,
Danbatta said Nigeria had taken proactive and meticulous steps to be among the
leading players in the global digital economy.
“We have been meticulous all the way in our
5G deployment journey, from trial across selected states in the country, to
review and stakeholder engagement, to approval by the Federal Executive Council
(FEC), to the 3.5GHz spectrum auction, and up to the official launch of the
national policy on 5G network by the President.
Now we have the official allocation of the
spectrum to the NCC for onward assignments to the winners. So, the coast is
clear for the country to assign the specific reference in the spectrum to the
winners, upon announcement of payments,” Danbatta said.
Meanwhile, eminent stakeholders and
dignitaries at the event, have commended Danbatta for ensuring sterling record
of transparency and accountability in the sale of the 3.5GHz Spectrum Band
allocated for deployment of 5G network in Nigeria.
The stakeholders include the Permanent
Secretary, Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital economy, Mr. Bitrus
Nabasu; the former Executive Secretary of the Commonwealth Telecommunication
Organisation (CTO), Mr. Shola Taylor; Director General, National Information
Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Abdullahi; Managing Director of Galaxy
Backbone Plc, Prof. Muhammed Abubakar; and the Director General of National
Identity Management Commission, Dr. Aliyu Aziz, among others.
Earlier in a presentation on the Benefits
of 5G, Engr Shola Taylor, a former Secretary of the Commonwealth Telecommunications
Organisation, declared that 5G will have far-reaching transformational impact
on major sectors of the Nigerian economy, which will bring about rapid
social-economic development of the country.