News
Nigeria’s telecom access gaps drop by 53.1%
The Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta has disclosed that the number of identified areas of clusters across Nigeria without access to the telecommunications services has been reduced by 53.1 per cent.
Speaking at a recent telecoms industry stakeholders forum in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state, he said the number has reduced as at the end of 2022.
Represented at the forum by the Head, Pre-Licensing at the Commission, Usman Mamman, the CEO said from 207 clusters of access gaps in 2013, the industry has witnessed a reduction to 97 as of end 2022 by bridging 110 clusters of access gaps, representing a 53.1 per cent reduction.
In a statement by the Director, Public Affairs, Mr Reuben Muoka which was sent to CAPITAL POST on Wednesday in Abuja, he quoted Danbatta to have said that the number of Nigerians who fell within the access gap which were estimated at 37 million in 2013 has been reduced to 27 million, following increased access to telecoms services by those hitherto not digitally included.
Access gaps refer to the cluster of communities or grouped areas in different parts of the country that are bereft of access to telecom services and till date, the NCC has reduced clusters of access gap by more than half.
Danbatta said, “We have worked tirelessly to ensure we bring telecom services to people living in rural, unserved, and underserved areas of this country, totalling 37 million people courtesy of the consultancy that was conducted in 2013.
“By 2019, we had succeeded in reducing the clusters of access gaps to 114 through the deployment of the necessary infrastructure needed to bring services to people living in rural, unserved and underserved areas of the country. The deployment of infrastructure is in terms of base transceiver stations, which resulted in the reduction of Nigerians in those clusters from 37 million to 31 million in 2019.
“By 2022, we have reduced the clusters of access gaps to 97 from 207 in 2013. The number of Nigerians again have come down from 37 million in 2013 to 27 million as we speak. We achieved this by deploying, from 2009 to 2011, a total of 79 new base transceiver stations,” he said
Danbatta stated that in 2013 to 2018, the telecom sector also witnessed the deployment of additional 124 base transceiver stations while from 2019 to 2022, a total of 364 base transceiver stations were deployed.
“So far, the total number of base transceiver stations we have deployed to date between the time the access gaps were identified till the end of 2022 are 567,” he said.
While describing the reduction in access gap so far as a landmark, Danbatta, however, said the Commission will not rest on its oars as it thrives to ensure that the remaining 27 million Nigerians, who currently lack access to telecoms services, are provided with services.
Meanwhile, the EVC said part the regulatory interventions of the Commission to bridge the remaining 97 access across the country to provide ubiquitous connectivity in all the nooks and crannies of Nigeria are the issuance of the Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) Licences and the deployment of Fifth Generation (5G) networks, among others.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has confirmed that the representatives of the petitioners seeking to recall the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District have now provided their contact details.
In a statement on Wednesday, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information & Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, said:
“The contact address of representatives of the petitioners, their telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses have now been provided in a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Commission.”
He added that INEC has formally notified the senator about the recall petition.
“As provided in Clause 2(a) of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Recall 2024, a letter has been written to notify the senator sought to be recalled about the receipt of the petition and delivered to her official address,” Olumekun stated.
He further explained that the same letter had been copied to the presiding officer of the Senate and published on the Commission’s website.
Speaking on the next step, Olumekun said INEC would now verify the signatures to ensure that more than 50% of registered voters in Kogi Central signed the petition.
“This will be done in the coming days. The outcome, which will be made public, shall determine the next step to be taken by the Commission,” he said.
Olumekun reassured Nigerians that the recall process would be conducted in an open and transparent manner.
The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Senate Matters, Senator Basheer Lado, has commended his principal for assenting to South West and South – South Development Commissions Bills as well as the Nigeria Anti – Doping Bill 2025.
Senator Lado who made the commendation in a personally signed statement, described presidential assets to the bills as monumental milestone and testament to visionary leadership and national progress.
The statement reads: “I extend my warmest congratulations to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for yet another historic achievement his decisive and visionary assent to the South-West Development Commission Bill, the South-South Development Commission Bill, and the Nigeria Anti-Doping Bill, 2025.
“These landmark legislations are a clear reflection of President Tinubu’s relentless commitment to inclusive governance, equitable progress, and Nigeria’s emergence as a global powerhouse.
“His Excellency has once again demonstrated that leadership is not merely about policies—it is about impact, legacy, and a deep-rooted dedication to uplifting every citizen.
“By signing into law the establishment of the South-West and South-South Development Commissions, President Tinubu has reaffirmed his role as a transformational leader who prioritizes regional empowerment, economic expansion, and infrastructural excellence.
Building on the foundation of his earlier assent to the South-East and North -West Development Commissions, it is evident that President Tinubu is deliberate in bringing development across all regions.
“These commissions will serve as catalysts for industrial growth, job creation, and social advancement—ensuring that every corner of Nigeria benefits from his administration’s progressive vision. This is the mark of a true statesman—one who understands that a nation’s strength lies in its ability to uplift all regions without bias.
“In the same vein, the Nigeria Anti-Doping Bill, 2025 is yet another bold step that solidifies Nigeria’s commitment to fairness, excellence, and integrity in global sports.
“President Tinubu has once again positioned Nigeria as a nation of high ethical standards, ensuring that our athletes compete on the world stage with honor and credibility. By domesticating the UNESCO International Convention Against Doping in Sports, his administration has safeguarded the future of Nigerian sports, protecting our athletes from unfair practices while reinforcing our global reputation as a country that upholds integrity.
“This momentous occasion underscores President Tinubu’s unmatched leadership—one that is proactive, decisive, and deeply attuned to the needs and aspirations of the Nigerian people.
His ability to enact groundbreaking policies that foster unity, drive economic prosperity, and elevate our international standing speaks volumes of his unwavering dedication to national transformation”.
News
BREAKING: Key contact details missing in petition to recall Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan – INEC
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has acknowledged receiving a petition for the recall of the Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District but noted that key contact details of the petitioners were missing.
In a press release signed by Sam Olumekun, the National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, the commission stated that the petition was submitted with six bags of documents containing signatures from more than half of the 474,554 registered voters in the district.
However, the covering letter only provided a general location, “Okene, Kogi State,” without a specific address or multiple contact numbers as required by INEC’s regulations.
INEC emphasized that the recall process is guided by the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act 2022, and its 2024 Regulations and Guidelines for Recall.
The commission assured that once the petition meets all requirements, it will proceed with verifying the signatures using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in an open process involving petitioners, observers, and the media.
INEC is currently making efforts to reach the petitioners through other means and urged the public to disregard speculation on social media regarding the recall process.
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