…as NCC remits N362.34bn to government coffers in 5 years
The Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Nigerian
Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta has described as key the
role of telecommunications to the diversification of the nation’s economy.
Prof. Danbatta made this assertion in his
presentation to Course 29 Participants at the National Defence College,
Nigeria, recently.
Speaking on a theme, “The
Telecommunications Industry and National Development in Nigeria: The Roles of the
NCC in Promoting Digital Economy”, he said, telecoms sector is the
life-wire that will drive the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy
(NDEPS) of the Federal Government.”
He noted that the sector plays a dual role of
contributing to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and being an enabler to other
sectors of the economy.
“Telecommunications is key to the
diversification of the Nigerian economy, as the telecom sector played a dual
role of contributing to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and being an enabler
to other sectors of the economy,” he said.
The EVC informed that the commission remitted
over N362.34 billion as revenue in five (5) years to the Federal Government’s
consolidated revenue account.
He listed fixed broadband Infrastructure gap,
Right of Way (RoW), Foreign Exchange, Vandalism of telecoms infrastructure,
Electric Power Supply, Multiple Taxations and regulations as some of the
challenges bedeviling the industry.
On fixed broadband infrastructure gap, he
said, the commission will bolster the exiting fibre optic infrastructure across
the country by 38,296 km through the Infrastructure Companies (InfraCo) project Initiative.
On Row, the NCC boss said, the engagement
with the Nigeria Governors Forum on adoption of N145/m as RoW fees has yielded
results in Kaduna, Katsina, Imo, Ekiti and Plateau State.
He urged other states governments to key into
the success of the digital economy drive by reducing RoW fees and other charges
targeting telecom service providers.
Danbatta’s paper delved into a range of
issues, including the correlation between broadband and GDP, telecom
contribution to national development, telecom investment trend in Nigeria,
telecom contribution to digital economy, conceptualisation of digital economy, among others.
In his remarks, the Commandant of the
National Defence College, Rear Admiral Mackson Kadiri, appreciated the EVC, describing
his paper as in-depth, incisive and timely, giving the pivotal role the telecom
sector plays in ensuring National Security and National Development.
