Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta has highlighted how the telecom regulator is leveraging on its Strategic Management Plan (SMP 2020-2024 or “ASPIRE 2024”), to consolidate on the Strategic Vision Plan and 8-Point Agenda for national development.
Delivering a keynote address at the Virtual 3rd Discourse Series of the Advocaat Law Practice with the theme: “Powering the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Nigeria”, Danbatta , who was represented by the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, NCC, Mr. Adeleke Adewolu, stressed NCC’s determination to continue responding to the policy goals to harness the immense socio-economic benefits of ICT for national development.
“As a Commission in charge of regulating telecommunications and other related services, we have done well by leveraging ICT for national development,” Danbatta said.
He identified a number of significant achievements by NCC to ensure that ICT infrastructure is up to the standard necessary to provide ubiquitous broadband services in Nigeria, which will ultimately, ensure growth, inclusiveness and sustainability.
These significant achievements include the licensing of six (6) infrastructure companies (InfraCos) to speed up the deployment of broadband infrastructure throughout Nigeria; and the provision of training and supporting public institutions with ICT interventions like School Knowledge Centers and ADAPTI.
Others are the enhancement of physical infrastructure in the last five (5) years, which led to the Commission expanding broadband penetration from 6% to 42.06 as at February 2021, reduction of access gap clusters from 207 to 114 and increase of Fibre Optic coverage from 47,000km to 54,725 km.
Funding of Telecom Research also increased to N336.4m and has endowed four (4) Professorial Chairs. The Commission has also commenced requisite engagements on 5G deployments with licensees already carried out trials.