The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC Prof Umar Danbatta
recently paid a courtesy visit to Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun as part
of his mission to strengthen relationships between the agency and other
stakeholders.
He enumerated the followings as his mission .
1.
WHY
ARE WE HERE
To
share with you our vision and mission as provided forby the Nigerian
Communications Act 2003 as well as the National ICT Policy and to solicit the
buy-in of the Government and people of Ogun State. These instrumentsempowerNCC
to regulate the telecommunications sector in Nigeria in line with global best
practices.
Whereas
the sector experienced total deregulation in the year 2000, the actual
revolution in the telecommunications sector in Nigeria began in 2001 with the
licensing of Digital Mobile Operators. The licences issued empowered the
operators to provide digital mobile services via the Global System of Mobile
communications (GSM) and other technologies.
Following
from the success of this gambit, the sector has grownimmenselyandthe Commission’s
current statistics indicate a mobile teledensity in excess of 107 percent and
about 150 million active subscribers on the various mobile networks.
Your
Excellency, laudable as the above scorecard is, NCC still believes that the
best is yet to come. Part of the reason for
our visit is to intimate Your Excellencyon a new revolution to make internet
available at every point and region of Nigeria, i.e providing internet to the served,
the underserved and the unserved areas using our anticipated broadband penetration.
2.
NCC’S
8 – POINT AGENDA & BROADBAND PENETRATION
In
the above regard, we draw your attention to the Commission’s 8-point agenda
recently launchedin sync with the Policy direction of the Government of
President Muhammadu Buhari. A cardinal thrust of the Agenda is to create the
environment for broadband to thrive in line with the Federal Government National
Broadband Plan (NBP) (2013-2018). It is anticipated that broadband penetration
will rise from its present 10% to 30% by the year 2018.
We
havemade steady progress with the licensing of companies through the 2.3GHz spectrum
band won by Bitflux Consortium. The consortium has begun to offer broadband services.The
Commission hasalso offered licences to two Infrastructure Companies
(Infracos)for Lagos and North Central zones respectively and we have five more licenses
in this category to cover the South West, South East, South South, North East
and North West zones. The process for this has begun.
Only
recently we concluded auction for the 2.6GHz broadband spectrum and the
licenses will be issued in due course.
Indeed,
your Excellency, the NCC has lived up to its bidding by its transparent
activities in managing the telecoms sector in Nigeria, which is the more reason why it was declared
in Accra, Ghana as the Africa Regulator of the Year. We will tell our story another
day but let me assure you that we will not fail in our obligation as contained
in the Nigerian Communications Act 2003.
3.
OUR
CONCERNS AND WORRIES
In
spite of the modest achievements, Your Excellency, we have our concerns and
worries about the continuous growth of the sector.These worries and concerns
stem from the threat to telecommunications operationsin various States.
There
have been recurring cases of multiple taxation which threaten the operators and
by extension telecommunications services.There have also been issues of Right
of Way (RoW) approvals to telecom companies.
Various
tiers of Government, including Local Council and State Government Agencies have
created enormous challenges to the sector and some of these agencies often
threaten to shut down Base Transceivers Stations (BTSs) over alleged refusal of
the Telecoms companies (Telcos) to comply with a tax regime which the operators
see as grossly excessive and at times inappropriate.
The
operators are in a dilemma and because of this, expansion of the networks is
heavily stifled. There is also the challenge of vandalism and pilfering of
telecoms equipment.
Your
Excellency, these are real issues that require pragmatic approach if they are
to be addressed for the common good of nation building.
In
the previous Government, the then Minister of Communications initiated a move
that led to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the
Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) covering all these issues but the provisions of
the MOU are not being adhered to.
Indeed,
Your Excellency, the resolution of the National Economic Council (NEC) ofMarch
21, 2013 properly addressed the problems of multiple taxation, levies and charges
on ICT Infrastructure with a view to providing a lasting solution.
Incidentally, these resolutions are largely honoured more in the breach than in
their observance hence the precarious situation has not changed.
It
is in the light of the foregoing that I decided to lead my team to share these
worries with you, Your Excellency and your brother Governors with a view to
finding a permanent solution to these problems.
YourExcellency,
permit me to reiterate the contribution of the Telecommunications sectorto the
overall growth of the National Economy and the Gross Domestic Product
(GDP). For instance, the figures
released by the National Bureau for Statistics (NBS) in June, 2016 showed that despite the negative growth rate
of the nation’s economy by -0.36 percent for the first quarter of 2016 the
telecommunications sector recorded an increase to GDP of 0.5 percent to raise
its contribution to 8.83 percent in the first quarter of 2016. We are optimistic that this pattern of growth
will continue by the end of the year 2016.
As
a foremost Accountant and financial expert and a Fellow of Chartered Institute
of Accountants of Nigeria, ICAN (FCA), Your Excellencysure hasperfect knowledge
and appreciation of the figures and statistics. We therefore seize this opportunity
to appeal to you to kindly prevail on your colleagues to show some understanding
and help this sector to grow and impact on the socio-economic development of
our nation.
4.
NCC’s
PRESENCE IN OGUN STATE
Your
Excellency, NCCis proud of its presence in and contribution to the advancement
of education in Ogun State over the years. Under the Commission’s initiatives
of Advanced Digital Awareness Programme for Tertiary Institution (ADAPTI),
Digital Awareness Programme (DAP), the Wireless Cloud as well as the various
programmes of the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), we make bold to say
that Ogun State has always been at the top of the list of beneficiaries.
Tai
Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro and Gateway
Polytechnic, Ota are some of the beneficiaries of the ADAPTI projects under
which these institutions received laptops and accessories, wireless cloud
deployment as well as capacity building for the relevant staff and students on
the ICT operations.
Under
the Commission’s Digital Awareness Programme (DAP) for Secondary Schools, no
fewer than 50 Secondary Schools in Ogun State have also benefited.In no particular
order, the Schools include: Owode High School, Obafemi Owode; Methodist High
School, Ewekoro; Adeola Odutola Comprehensive High School, Ijebu Ode; Abeokuta
Grammar School, Abeokuta; Molusi College, Ijebu Igbo; Sagamu High School,
Iperu-Remo; Muslim College, Ijebu Ode; Mayflower School, Ikenne and African
Grammar School, Ita Eko, among others.
Under
the Universal Service Provision Fund’s (USPF) School knowledge Centre (SKCs)
and Tertiary Information Knowledge Centre (TIKCs) Schemes, 45 Secondary Schools,
6(six) Tertiary Institutions have benefited.The Tertiary Institutions include,
MKO Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta; University of Agriculture, Abeokuta; Tai
Solarin University of Education, Ijagun; Covenant University, Ota; Redeemers
University, Ibafo and Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye.
Base
Transceiver Stations (BTS) have also been constructed in Orile-Ilugun-Kila axis
to cater for 49,000 inhabitants, Igbo-Ora -14,627 inhabitants, Itori-Wasimi –
13,112 inhabitants and Orita J4 Egunya to cater for 22,500 population.
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