The NCC has been working to ensure increased broadband
penetration in line with Federal Government’s targets as contained in the
Nigerian National Broadband Pan (NNBP), 2020-2025, launched by President
Muhammadu Buhari in March 2020.
Some of the key targets of this national policy document are
to ensure a 70 per cent broadband penetration to, at least, 90 per cent of the
population. It also seeks to achieve broadband speeds of 15Mbp and 25Mbps in
rural and urban areas respectively over the next five years.
Access to broadband is globally recognized today as a
necessity and not luxury and that explains the Federal Government’s decision to
develop broadband plans aimed at deepening in-country connectivity to enhance
socio-economic development. The correlation between broadband penetration and
growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), shows that countries with high density
of broadband network have higher GDP per capital for the citizens. This shows
that the steady growth in broadband penetration over the years in Nigeria is
directly reflecting on the economic growth of the country.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications
Commission, NCC, Professor Umar Garba Danbatta alluded to the above recently at
the Nigeria Academy of Engineering (NAEng.) when he assured of the Commission’s
commitment to driving digital connectivity aimed at bridging extant clusters of
access gaps in Nigeria.
“We have a target of 70 per cent broadband penetration by
2025, as contained in the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP). We are
around 50 per cent currently and I can assure you that we are hopeful that we
will achieve and surpass that target,” he said. Currently, the Commission under
Prof. Danbatta has supervised the growth of telecommunications subscription
from 151 million in August 2015 to 223.6 million as at April 2023.
Danbatta, a professor of electrical and electronics
engineering, who is a member of Council, and a fellow of NAEng, while receiving
the Platinum Award of the Nigeria Academy of Engineering (NAEng.) being a
reward for his leadership of the nation’s telecom regulator for its
contributions to the development and growth of engineering profession in the
technological and economic development of the country.
The Commission has already driven various initiatives that
has ensured the deployment of Fifth Generation (5G) Mobile Technology in
Nigeria with licenced mobile operators namely, MTN, Mafab Communications and
Airtel securing licences and have deployed 5G mobile networks in some states
with plans to expand to the entire 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory,
Abuja.
With the emergence of technologies such as 5G, which offers
enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), Massive Machine-Type Communication (mMTC) and
Ultra-Low, Ultra-reliable Latency Communication (uRLC), there is already a
platform that would bring succor to our connectivity challenges if the
requisite policy, frameworks and infrastructure are put in place.
The Commission recognises that emerging technologies such as
5G, Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud Computing; Quantum Computing
Augmented/Virtual Reality, among otehrs are already playing a critical role in
improving remote communication over the internet with great user experience
globally. This explains why NCC has seen the need to promote the use of these
emerging technology trends for great economic development in Nigeria.
According to the Commission, having a robust broadband
infrastructure will play a greater role in fast-tracking the effective
deployment of 5G technology and facilitate availability of other emerging
technologies earlier itemized.
The Commission is in the process of renewing its licensing
structure in the sector. This decision
was informed by the wide range of technological advances, convergence of
technologies and services which have characterised the global telecoms space
over the years, and which impact is increasingly being experienced in Nigeria.
It is reckoned that, the current licence structure is over
20 years old, hence the need for an urgent review of the existing licence
patterns to reflect new licensing trends in line with international standards
while providing opportunities for improved revenue for government. It is hope
that the review will culminate in the appraisal of the terms and conditions of
the various licence categories, including licensing fee, as well as
identification of the limitations of the various license categories, with a
view to clearly determining licences that should be phased out or amended.
As a corollary to the above to the licensing structure
review, the Commission has reviewed its Spectrum Trading Guidelines (STG). This
instrument allows that the spectrum resource in-country to be traded on the
Secondary Market through Transfer, Sharing or Leasing (TSL) upon satisfying
stipulated regulatory conditions.
It suffices to mention here that the NNBP 2020-2025 requires
that these Guidelines be reviewed to ensure that un-utilised spectrum is fairly
traded to facilitate rollout by other operators among others. The Guidelines
will, therefore, facilitate the country’s yearning for ubiquitous broadband
access in line with the economic agenda of the Federal Government.
It was no surprise that the President of the Academy, Prof.
Azikiwe Onwualu, said during the award presented by doyen of engineering and
Former Director General of the Nigerian Television Authority, Vincent Maduka,
that the Commission deserved the award as it has done the profession proud in
its telecom regulatory process and promotion of engineering as shown in its
strong support for the NAEng.
While handing over the award at the 2023 Annual Technology
Dinner of the Academy, Maduka said, “Prof. Danbatta has contributed immensely
to the sustainability of all initiatives of the professional body, just as his
role to the development of engineering profession in general is being felt in
Nigeria, through his effective regulation of the telecommunications sector.”
Danbatta dedicated the award to the ‘hardworking and
diligent staff of the Nigerian Communications Commission’, who, he said, have
continued to demonstrate commitment to supporting his vision to promote
regulatory excellence toward sustaining growth of Nigeria’s digital economy.
“I could not have done the good work you credited me with,
without the support and cooperation of NCC staff and we are delighted that the
public is watching, listening and observing what we are doing and a testimony
to this fact is the platinum category award we have just been given by the apex
engineering body in the country,“ the EVC stated.
Danbatta further said: “I want to assure the public that the
NCC will do whatever it can, within its mandates, to bring out impactful
initiatives that will drive the digital transformation process that will
ultimately make telecom services pervasive and affordable to all parts of the
country.“