By Babajide Okeowo
The Executive Vice Chairman of the commission Umar Danbatta made this known during his presentation to Course 29 Participants at the National Defence College Abuja.
He stated that the role of telecommunications was critical to the diversification of Nigeria’s economy.
In a statement issued in Abuja by the spokesperson of the NCC, Ikechukwu Adinde, the NCC boss said the telecoms sector was the life-wire that would drive the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy of the Federal Government.
Danbatta said the sector played a dual role of contributing to the Gross Domestic Product and serving as an enabler to other sectors of the economy.
“Telecommunications is key to the diversification of the Nigerian economy as the telecoms sector plays a dual role of contributing to the Gross Domestic Product and being an enabler to other sectors of the economy,” he said.
He listed fixed broadband infrastructure gap, right of way, foreign exchange, vandalism of telecoms infrastructure, power supply, multiple taxations and regulations as some of the challenges bedeviling the industry.
On the fixed broadband infrastructure gap, he said the commission would bolster the existing fibre optic infrastructure across the country by 38,296km through the infraCo project initiative.
On right of way issues, the NCC boss said the engagement with the Nigeria Governors Forum on adoption of N145/m as RoW fees had yielded results in Kaduna, Katsina, Imo, Ekiti and Plateau states.
He, therefore, urged other state governments to key into the success of the digital economy drive by reducing RoW fees and other charges targeting telecom service providers.
The Commandant of the National Defence College, Rear Admiral Mackson Kadiri, commended the NCC boss, noting that the role of the telecoms sector was pivotal in ensuring national security and development.
