NCC needs N700 billion to provide basic telecommunication infrastructure, Danbatta tells Reps Committee

The Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta said, the sum of N700 billion is needed to provide basic telecommunication infrastructure, including optic fibre cables and base stations, in order to increase connectivity nationwide.

The NCC’s bid to deepen connectivity at the grassroot gained traction as the agency revealed that it had already taken steps to address the issue by creating a fund to support infrastructure development in rural areas and promoting infrastructure sharing among telecoms operators.

Prof. Danbatta was reacting to concerns raised by the House of Representatives Committee over the non-existent telecommunication services in some rural parts of the country, which the Committee summoned him to offer explanation.

The NCC boss revealed that the agency was committed to ensuring a universal access to telecommunication services in the country and was working with stakeholders to achieve this goal, while urging the committee to support the Commission’s efforts by providing the necessary legislative and policy support to boost the sector.

Danbatta disclosed that as of 2013, there were 207 clusters of access gaps that affected 37 million people in Nigeria, adding that progress has been made in reducing the clusters in rural, un-served, and under-served areas nationwide,that the number of Nigerians in the clusters had reduced from 37 million to 31 million in 2019.

The telecoms industry regulator, told the Committee that the NCC’s estimation of N700 billion to bridge the gap in access to telecommunication services was a call to action for the government, private sector, and development partners to work together to mobilize resources and deploy innovative solutions that can expand access to quality telecommunications services in rural and under-served areas.

He charged the Federal Government to also create an enabling environment for this plan to thrive so that it can attract private sector investment in telecommunications infrastructure development in rural and under-served areas.

He clarified: “Private sector players and development partners can also play a critical role in expanding access to telecommunications services in rural and under-served areas. This can be achieved through partnerships with the government, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders to deploy innovative solutions that address the unique challenges of providing telecommunications services in rural and under-served areas.

“Development partners on the other hand can support the government and private sector in mobilizing resources, technical assistance, and capacity building to address the digital divide in the country.

“This can be done through the provision of grants, concessional loans, and technical assistance to support the deployment of innovative solutions that can expand access to telecommunications services in rural and under-served areas.

“To achieve success in the telecommunication Space, there must be synergy between and among the stakeholders of the sector”, Danbatta stressed.