TheNewsGuru

Tag: NCC

  • Nigeria’s telecom contribution to GDP hits 16%

    Nigeria’s telecom contribution to GDP hits 16%

    The telecommunications sector’s contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has increased significantly to 16 per cent in the second quarter of 2023, according to the data reported by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) based on the computation by the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

    The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, stated this in a keynote address delivered at the annual Telecom Executives and Regulators Forum (TERF) hosted by the Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) in Lagos on Thursday.

    According to Danbatta, from a 14.13 per cent contribution in the first quarter of 2023, and up from the hitherto 15 per cent all-time-high record contributed in the second quarter of 2022, the telecommunications sector added 16 per cent to the national GDP in the second quarter of 2023 to set a new record.

    Danbatta, while speaking on the theme: “Success Factors and Barriers to National Broadband and Digital Economy Aspirations”, took the audience, promising executives of telecom companies and other industry stakeholders, through the giant strides being made by the Commission.

    From about 8 per cent contribution to GDP in 2015, when Danbatta came on board as the EVC of NCC, he said quarterly GDP has increased significantly to reach its current threshold of 16 per cent and that this has continued to positively impact all aspects of the economy.

    “Through sustained regulatory excellence and operational efficiency by the Commission, the industry has grown in leaps and bounds over the past two decades and this has impacted on all other sectors of the economy. The effective regulatory regime emplaced by the NCC and with the support from all stakeholders has been our major success factor as an industry,” Danbatta said.

    The EVC stated that while there are barriers to broadband deployment in the country, ranging from the issue of right of way (RoW), fibre cuts, high capital requirement for deployment, multiple taxations and regulations, among other challenges, the NCC is navigating regulatory complexities, digital divide and literacy, security concerns with firmness and increased collaborations with necessary stakeholders such as ATCON to create measures towards tackling the challenges.

    On the RoW challenge, the EVC said there are about 46 different taxes directed at the telecom sector at the moment. Such charges and levels, coming in various names, are imposed on telecom operators by some agencies and tiers of government, especially at the state and local levels. Danbatta said the challenge translates into greater economic burdens on telecom subscribers in the country.

    Speaking about connectivity, Danbatta said, “Over the years, we have identified some clusters of access gaps all over the country but we have recorded a significant drop in the number of access gaps, as we continue to drive initiatives that boost access to telecommunications services.”

    He stated that the Commission does this by enlisting government commitment to a digital economy with robust policy frameworks, promotion of investment and funding, stimulation of infrastructure development, digital inclusion and literacy, promotion of competition and market liberalization, effective allocation of spectrum, as well as driving the e-government ecosystem.

    Danbatta said with various ongoing regulatory efforts, “The NCC is confident that we are going to reach 50 per cent broadband penetration threshold by the end of 2023 and by 2025, we would have met and possibly surpassed the 70 per cent broadband penetration target, as contained in the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP), 2020-2025.”

    The EVC particularly commended ATCON and its members for being partners in progress and for constantly engaging the Commission in constructive ways towards finding solutions to the myriad of challenges confronting the industry. The EVC said a national broadband network and a thriving digital economy are not without their challenges.

    “However, these challenges can be overcome through determination, innovation, and strategic planning. By focusing on the success factors and addressing the barriers, we can create a future where every Nigerian have access to the opportunities that the digital world offers,” he added.

    Danbatta also stated that the success of the nation’s digital aspirations is beyond technological advancements but also about transforming lives, driving economic growth, and ensuring that a nation remains competitive on the global stage.

    “As we work together to navigate this path, I enjoin all our stakeholders in the public and private sectors to remain committed to building a brighter and more connected future for our country,” he said.

  • NCC seeks end to multiple taxation

    NCC seeks end to multiple taxation

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has called for a continuous telecoms stakeholders engagement to eliminate the effects of multiple taxation on economic development.

    NCC Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management, Mr Adeleke Adewolu, made the call during NCC South West Regional Telecoms Stakeholders’ Workshop on Multiple Taxations and Regulations held in Ibadan on Wednesday.

    Adewolu said that multiple taxation in the telecoms industry had continued to be the bane of economic development in the country.

    According to him, taxation by design remains an instrument for economic development.

    He added that the initiative of all tiers of government in using taxation as an instrument for socio-economic development needed to be supported.

    He, however, noted that supporting the tax initiatives by the various tiers of government includes indicating where a category of taxes had become cancerous to economic development.

    “These types of taxes typically manifest themselves in the form of multiple taxation and by design, they reverse growth, stifle innovation and discourage investment.

    “The 2017 Tax Policy specifically states that taxes similar to those being collected by a level of government should not be introduced by the same or another level of government.

    “President Bola Tinubu, in his commitment to address the vexed issue of multiple taxation, recently signed a number of Executive Orders to curb arbitrary taxes in the country.

    “This I believe will facilitate a conducive environment for local and foreign investment into the country, ” Adewolu said.

    Also the Director, Monitoring and Enforcement, NCC, Mr Efosa Idehen, said that the workshop theme “Navigating the Landscape of Multiple Taxation and Regulations: Fostering Sustainable Growth Through Collaboration”, was apt.

    According to him, the theme was chosen to reflect the NCCs core value of strategic partnership and the dire need for concerted effort to allow the telecoms sector breathe to its full potential.

    “This campaign is not against the fair and legitimate tax heads of respective government agencies as prescribed by law but a solemn call for the review and implementation of a workable structure that ensures only legitimate payment, “he said.

    In his contribution, the Executive Secretary, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Mr Gbolahan Awonuga, said that Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) now paid up to 49 different taxes to governments and their agencies in Nigeria.

    He noted that multiple taxation and other challenges such as power, vandalism, host communities problems, amongst others, remained major impediments to infrastructure and network penetration in Nigeria.

    The workshop featured contributions from heads of government agencies, MNOs, subscribers and other critical stakeholders in the telecommunications industry.

  • Nigeria hosts 54 countries to Africa Internet Governance Forum 2023

    Nigeria hosts 54 countries to Africa Internet Governance Forum 2023

    Nigeria is set to play host to 54 African nations and other continental Internet governance stakeholder blocs at the 2023 Africa Internet Governance Forum (AfIGF 2023) in Abuja from 18th to 21 September, 2023.

    This year’s event, being the 12th edition of the annual forum, is being hosted by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on behalf of the Federal Government, and is scheduled to take place at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, with the theme, “Transforming Africa’s Digital Landscape: Empowering Inclusion, Security, and Innovation”.

    The Forum will serve as a platform for meaningful dialogue and collaboration on Internet Governance among various sectors and regional initiatives to advance digital connectivity, address Internet Governance challenges, and empower Africa through digital transformation.

    The event will be preceded by the African Youth Internet Governance Forum, which will take place from 13-18 September, 2023.

    The series of events at this year’s programme will commence with the Parliamentarian Symposium, scheduled to take place from 18-19 September 2023 during which members of the Parliament from all participating countries will take the opportunity to consult and network with one another in a roundtable designed to better understanding of the roles of the legislature, and nudge deeper synergy with parliaments on Internet Governance in Africa.

    As a crucial gathering of stakeholders and investors in Africa’s digital future, the AfIGF 2023 promises to be a rare assemblage of key stakeholders from government, civil society, academia, the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector, and a broad spectrum of actors in the private sector intentionally rallied to discuss important matters focused on the development, access, and governance of the Internet in Africa.

    The Forum, structured in a variety of gatherings, including dialogues, workshops, panel sessions, symposia, and roundtables, is a vibrant and inclusive platform that brings together stakeholders from across the African continent and other international partners, to engage in discussions that will shape the future of Internet Governance.

    Other focal sessions at the event will include plenary discussions, interactive workshops, and expert panels focusing on Digital Inclusion and Connectivity; Cyber Security and Data Protection; Digital Rights and Freedom of Expression; Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Emerging Technologies; E-Commence and Digital Economy; and Data Governance and Trust, among others.

    Participants are also expected to discuss the 17 Sustainable Development Goals in the context of digital literacy and internet access in a manner that can accelerate development for the continent.

    The event will feature high-ranking speakers, policymakers, industry experts, and thought leaders from across Africa and beyond. Through participants’ expertise and insights, the forum will generate actionable recommendations that can inform policymaking, drive investments, and shape the future of Internet Governance in Africa, by reshaping the trajectory of the continent’s digital landscape and paving the way for a more inclusive and prosperous digital future.

  • Nigeria ranks 11th in internet penetration globally

    Nigeria ranks 11th in internet penetration globally

    Prof. Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says Nigeria is rated eleventh in terms of internet penetration and seventh in terms of mobile phone usage globally.

    Danbatta made the disclosure at the opening ceremony of the Emerging Technology Forum for the Telecommunications Industry on Thursday in Abuja.

    The theme of the two-day forum is: “Contextualising the Network Readiness Index (NRI) for the Nigerian Telecommunications Industry”.

    The EVC, represented by Mr Abraham Oshadami, Head, Spectrum Database Management, NCC,  said the global data collected by the NRI team revealed digital transformation was global imperative in order to maximise social and economic effects of digital era.

    He said the NIR explored the performances of 131 economies in four categories, which include: Technology (infrastructure), governance, people, and impact.

    The NCC boss said: “Nigeria is a telecommunications powerhouse, with 82 per cent of the continent’s telecom subscribers and 29 per cent of the continent’s internet consumption.

    “Our nation rates eleventh globally in terms of internet penetration and seventh in terms of mobile phone usage.

    “The global data collected by the NRI team reveals that digital transformation is a global imperative in order to maximize the social and economic effects of the digital era.

    “Despite these remarkable metrics, the fact that our Network Readiness Index (NRI) ranking for 2022 is 109th out of 131 countries is both humbling and challenging.”

    Danbatta said as agents of social and economic transformation in the nation, prioritising network readiness was not only a strategic necessity but a mandate.

    “It can create new inequalities which can hinder the ability of younger generations to engage in the digital economy, but also remains a powerful way to do more with less at all levels of income.

    “Formal education is evolving, and metrics are important to support informed policymaking.

    “This requires reskilling and upskilling opportunities to be available, accessible, and affordable in order to have more inclusive and sustainable economies and societies.

    “The NRI is a guiding metric that measures the role and impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

    “To navigate this era of transformation, we must embrace innovation, make strategic investments, and cultivate a growth-friendly ecosystem,” Danbatta added.

    He further called on the stakeholders to grasp the opportunity to investigate emerging technologies, envisage their potential applications, and determine how they can leverage to solve specific challenges.

    Danbatta added: “This platform is our gateway to innovative and disruptive solutions that can positively transform our industry.

    “By engaging in conversations about new technologies, collaborating with global best practices and subject-matter experts, and pooling our insights, we open the door to unimaginable future possibilities.”

    Earlier, Dr Chidi Diugwu, Head, New Media and Information Security, NCC, in his opening remarks urged the stakeholders to embrace insights offered by NRI to guide policies, investments and collaborations.

    Diugwu said this would enable the nation to harness the potentials of emerging technologies, investing in human capital, and fostering innovation.

    This, he added, would lead to the unlocking of new opportunities, bridge the digital divide, and create a prosperous and inclusive digital future for Nigeria.

    Diugwu added: “As we move forward, let us embrace the insights offered by the NRI to guide our policies, investments, and collaborations to enable us harness the potentials of emerging technologies,

    “Investing in human capital, and fostering innovation that will unlock new opportunities, bridge the digital divide, and create a prosperous and inclusive digital future for Nigeria.”

    In his remarks, the Executive-Commissioner, Technical Services, NCC , Ubale Maska, said NRI was a strong indicator of how the country was adapting to the digital transformation happening all over the world.

    He said: ”NRI is a strong indicator of how the country is adapting to the digital transformation that is happening all over the world, and will help us access our progress and position on the global digital train.

    “This forum seeks to examine the different barriers and key drivers of emerging technologies as far as the Nigerian telecommunications industry is concerned.”

  • Time to rebuild the Communications Ministry – By Okoh Aihe

    Time to rebuild the Communications Ministry – By Okoh Aihe

    I do not know Bosun Tijani, the new Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, who, along with his colleagues, was sworn in on Monday. But I can see the picture of a young man standing before some dodos and dinosaurs in the National Assembly, who dredged up his past to invalidate his opportunity of being a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. 

    They were never moved by the credentials of this young fellow standing before them. Instead they nurse latent outrage that he would aspire to be a Minister under a party and in a nation he had impugned with some kind of misguided social media rant. How dare you!

    Yes. Quite a number of people in that hall had a past to hide. Some had lived dubious existence. Some had the misbegotten opportunity to rule their respective states and ended up as final undertakers of those states as they plunged their people into depths of poverty. They loathe criticism with a passion. 

    It is such an unfortunate twist of irony that the Nigerian state has a way of rewarding the crafty and the scoundrels that have brought her to this bedraggled, ignominious impasse; and quite a number of the guys who were frothing in their mouths, bellowing out questions to the nominee, are beneficiaries of a system that reserves the honoured sanctum of the National Assembly for some people with questionable past and claims to inexplicable wealth. For them wealth conquers all; but not the memories of a people sentenced to periods of sustained pain and lack. 

    There are two victories here. One for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who picked Tijani because of his knowledge and achievements over a past that the elders of the party would not like, and the other for Tijani himself who apologized, perhaps realizing that not doing so may deny him the opportunity to contribute to the reconstruction of this nation that is in desperate  need  help. 

    Those in the age of Tijani have reasons to be angry at this nation and the elders who have failed in positions of leadership should be humble enough to admit their roles in the fate that has befallen the nation. 

    I am not making a case for Tijani but I am happy that his case has been sorted and that he has become a Minister of an important ministry that equally needs help at this time. Although, really, the entire nation needs help. Only the people ensconced in the comfort and security of the National Assembly do not know the challenging times facing the country as they joke with grave matters of letting the poor breathe!

    Some people are celebrating Tijani whose flash of genius and creativity at Co-Creation Hub (Cc-Hub), brought global attention to Yaba in Lagos State as a Tech development epicentre which has equally attracted tech personalities like Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, among others. He is doing so much for the youths and with the youths. That may have led to the frustrations expressed by Tijani who had daily contact with young people at the Hub and could share in their bouts of frustrations traceable to elders who refused to affect their world positively. They have lived their own life and are eating up, ignominiously, the portions of their children.

    Some say he is globally connected and that the nation needs people like him now. There is no doubt about that except that it will be good to point out that transiting from business to holding a political office won’t provide the attraction of a Yoghurt drink, sweetened or unsweetened. 

    No, this can never be Yoghurt although a Yoghurt drink is very nourishing. The meeting with the Senators may only be a precursor to the condition and reception awaiting him in a ministry that is fractured through the middle, actions that will be veiled in niceties and pretenses. The system is used to welcoming top government functionaries, no matter their stance and knowledge, with orchestrated respect and then swallowing them up tantalizingly for total ruination. 

    But while I will want to sound a note of caution to Tijani, unsolicited, to be very conscious of smiling faces that never tell the truth, apologies to the music group, The Undisputed Truth, there will be the urgent need for him to reunite the ministry where the parastatals were working against each other because of the acrimonious personality of the former minister. 

    There are six agencies in the ministry which include: Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), National Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Galaxy Backbone, Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NigComSat), Nigerian Postal Services (NIPOST), National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), but  for very personal reasons perhaps, former Minister, Dr Isa Pantami, deracinated a unit of the NCC, the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF – see Sections 112 and 114 of The Nigerian Communications Act) from the Commission and made it a parastatal of its own although it still depends on funds from the NCC. 

    Everything about the former minister was about conquest, about power, about hubris, about self-aggrandizement and a narcissism without limit. The minister was the colossus bestriding the entire ministry with every parastatal and even their chief executives and directors, squirming under him. He had his unholy supporters who edged him on.

    The Nigerian Communications Act of 2003 is one of the best laws in the country but the former minister stood on the law and on everybody that was supposed to implement the law. The law restricts the minister and his ministry to policy decisions and representation of the nation at international fora (see Section 23, 24, 25 of the Act). Not Pantami. He left his office at the ministry which has been a pantheon of his predecessors and got embedded in the NCC property at Mbora, a district of Abuja. Tijani should reverse this decision.

    Such action is something the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the Mobile World Congress, the collective of mobile service providers across the world, frown against. He got too close to the regulator and expectedly seized its regulatory functions. He went on employment binge, without even the benefit of job interviews and, within four years, doubled the nominal role of the Commission. He got involved in internal matters of the regulator, including travels, promotions and staff transfers. 

    The regulator was captured nearly irretrievably and the industry suffered in fear. One day I made a call to one of the operators about the decision the minister just took. I could feel the man trembling on the phone swearing that I should take it that this conversation never held. Things were going awry in the industry and the operators, investing billions of Naira, were too afraid to attempt a remonstration because they knew the kind of government Buhari operated for eight years could take any decision without thinking of the consequences on business. 

    Funds earmarked for some special projects were diverted to other concerns without reasonable results to show for them. The regulator had been boxed into silence and helplessness. It was a classic case of regulatory capture. 

    In the final days of the Buhari administration, the minister created a wrench between the NCC and NITDA as a new bill sponsored by the latter at the National Assembly was designed to swallow up the telecoms regulator with most of its function appropriated. The bill got frustrated but not laid to rest yet. 

    Being a tech aficionado himself, Tijani will already have the story of the industry beyond my rehash. I will want to suggest that his coming can initiate a fresh start by rebuilding confidence and trust within the ministry and its parastatals. The minster can also call a stakeholders meeting of the industry to reassure them of the safety of their investment through the promotion of a good business environment. The minister will need to put his house in order, I mean the operating environment in order, before inviting his international connections to play a part in the rebuilding and development process. Our prayers are for him to do well.

  • Bosun Tijani reacts after emerging Communications Minister

    Bosun Tijani reacts after emerging Communications Minister

    President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday approved the appointment of Bosun Tijani as Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Tijani is a Nigerian-British entrepreneur and co-founder of Co-Creation Hub (CcHUB), a leading Pan-African innovation and technology centre.

    President Tinubu assigned Tijani as Communications Minister after an excruciating screening by the Senate.

    During his ministerial screening, the Senate made reference to one of Tijani’s past tweets, which raised questions about his nationality. He was also perceived to have disrespected the Senators when he called them ‘morons’ in one of his old tweets.

    However, after surviving the ministerial screening scare and following his appointment as Communications Minister, Tijani is now faced with the onus task of creating and formulating policies that will propel the Nigerian economy to a digitalized economy.

    Meanwhile, the 46-year-old tech entrepreneur and investor has said he looks forward to raising the level of productivity across the Nigerian economy through the smart application of technology.

    “It’s an exciting time to build a bigger and better future for all Nigerians.  Grateful to President Bola Tinubu for the opportunity to join his team working to deliver a more inclusive and prosperous Nigeria.

    “I look forward to working with all stakeholders to raise the level of productivity across our economy through the smart application of technology,” Tijani stated.

    As Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Tijani will oversee the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Galaxy Backbone.

    TNG reports the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) and Nigeria Communications Satelite Limited are all also under the purview of Tijani as Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.

  • NCC considers ethical energy sourcing for telecoms sector

    NCC considers ethical energy sourcing for telecoms sector

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it is mulling over the idea of introducing a framework to encourage ethical energy sourcing in the telecommunications sector.

    The Executive Vice Chairman of the commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta, disclosed this in a speech at a roundtable with the academia, industry chiefs and other stakeholders in Kano on Wednesday.

    The theme of the event is “Refocusing academic research toward Alternative Clean Energy: Panacea to paucity of energy in the telecommunications industry”.

    Danbatta said that the framework would serve as a guide for telecom service providers to adopt clean and sustainable energy sources, reducing their carbon footprints and contributing to greener future.

    He expressed the belief that the policy would not only benefit the environment but drive innovation and create new business opportunities in the industry.

    He, however, said that to achieve the objective would require collaboration with the academia and other stakeholder, who are encouraged to contribute through research findings.

    Danbatta said that the commission needed the expertise, knowledge and insight of the academia and other stakeholders to guide it in developing feasible alternative sources of clean energy that the industry can leverage for a sustainable energy supply.

    “We aim to refocus future academic research towards feasible alternative sources of clean energy that can be harnessed by the telecom industry.

    “It is essential to identify and explore new technologies, such as solar, wind and biomass that can power our communications infrastructure efficiently and sustainably.

    “We need your research to help us understand the potentials of these alternative energy sources, address their challenges and develop strategies for their implementation in the telecom sector,” Danbatta said.

    He further said that the sector was at the forefront of digital transformation and that the potentials to enhance the livelihood of the citizens must be harnessed by promoting research in the academia.

    He expressed the confidence that the discussions and ideas shared at the meeting would serve as a catalyst for transformative research and innovation in the sector.

  • Why is NCC fretting over MAFAB? – By Okoh Aihe

    Why is NCC fretting over MAFAB? – By Okoh Aihe

    It is not impossible for a regulator to be worried about the health of one of its licensees. There are several reasons for this to happen. It’s either the operator is not performing well in the market place or there could be some backend happenings impairing its operations. For an operator worth its salt, whose activities still wear the badge of some human feelings, there is always every reason to worry about a licensee or even the health of the market generally.

    There are no indications that MAFAB Communications is having any such operational challenges or thrust in any situation that should compel the regulator of the telecommunications industry, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), to begin to make statements on behalf of the operator. Twice in less than two years, the regulator has made statements in support of the operator even if the operator should actually be speaking for itself, just like the other operators.

    MAFAB is an elite licensee of the NCC. You don’t want to agree with me? When the regulator decided to launch the country into the new world of 5G, through the auctioning of 3.5GHz spectrum in 2021, MAFAB was one of the three bidders to dare the field which requires so much investment to operationalize. The other two were Airtel and MTN but based on the bare facts that only MAFAB was coming in fresh, we dubbed the contest a David and Goliath fight, that is, if you have a little bible history of a rookie fighter, David, who triumphed over a boisterous Goliath of the Philistines. Just like David, MAFAB won at the auction of December 13, 2021, and duly paid the license fee of $273.6m, according to the NCC.

    Really, I was happy for MAFAB but waited for the rollout surprises that would come, with the two operators, MTN and MAFAB,  given August 24, 2022 deadline for rollout.

    Things were working according to plan. The NCC had made money for government and also for itself. But with a little known MAFAB able to shell out that hefty amount for a license, there was swirling rumour of some money bags who may have a hand in it. Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu was listed as one of them. Remember, he wasn’t President of Nigeria in 2021 and 2022. The rumour had gained traction and was assuming the shape of truth.

    NCC took preemptive measures. Two days after the auction, on December 15, 2021, the Commission denied that it had any knowledge that former Lagos State Governor had interest in MAFAB, adding that the auction process was transparent and internationally acclaimed. The statement signed by its then Public Affairs Director, Dr Ikechukwu Adinde, read in part: ‘’In the course of its routine media review, today, December 15, 2021, the NCC became aware of publications in some online media channels alleging the involvement of Senator Bola Tinubu, former Governor of Lagos State, in MAFAB Communications Limited, one of the winners of the 5G spectrum sold by the Commission in a public auction conducted on Monday, December 13, 2021, at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.”

    That tendentious statement was overlooked by many, including this writer. After all, so much money had just been made for an economy that needed serious help. The statement really didn’t give me so much worry until another one that was released last week.

    In the statement titled, MAFAB HAS LAUNCHED 5G SERVICES IN NIGERIA, the NCC said: ‘’The attention of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has been drawn to some misleading comments on social media which falsely claimed that ‘’MAFAB Communications, one of the companies granted Fifth Generation (5G) licenses by the Commission is yet to roll out the service, nearly two years after obtaining a license, and one year after the roll out date.’’

    ‘’Consequent upon the issuance of the 5G license, and in line with the roll out conditions, MAFAB publicly launched its services in Abuja on January 24, 2023, and in Lagos on January 26, 2023. At launch, the services were targeted at six cities – Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Kano and Kaduna,’’ the statement pursued further.

    Trying to understand the above statement only magnified the obtuseness of the December 2021 statement. Why was it ever necessary for the NCC to disclaim Senator Tinubu’s relationship with MAFAB, if any? Tinubu was a private citizen and a businessman and had the freedom to invest in anything, including tomato farming and fried been cake (akara) on the way to Osun State, if he wanted, not to talk of a high yielding field like telecommunications. That statement was incongruous and overreaching and communicates very little respect for a Commission which prides itself as independent and transparent in its operations and auction processes.

    However, the most recent statement was the ultimate clincher in frivolity and unwarranted meddlesomeness in matters completely outside the purview of the Commission, if only for ethical reasons. The regulator has no reason speaking for, or defending an operator except there are issues beyond the comprehension of those who think know how a regulatory agency and the industry should relate.

    It is true that MAFAB actually launched services. I am aware of the launch in Lagos. But I have asked a few colleagues who attended the Lagos programme whether there was any practical demonstration of how the technology works. There was none.

    In my neck of the wood, they would always say the taste of the pudding is in the eating. How could there be a launch of technology without any demonstration and there is a subtle push for the acceptance of the existence of such technology? This writer is aware of 5G services by MTN and Airtel respectively, and the cost of each product. I have no information on MAFAB, whatsoever.

    There is nothing wrong if MAFAB is making grand preparation to launch its services. It should be allowed to do so, for the simple reason that 5G deployment is cost intensive even for existing operators, not to talk of a new entrant who will build from the scratch. What is wrong is the regulator releasing press statements on behalf of a particular operator. This is compromise without measure, it is favoritism beyond the call of regulatory relationships.

    I will want to suggest there is more information people may have on MAFAB beyond the walls of the regulatory agency and it is only commonsense that they are not pressured to regurgitate them to the discomfort of a company trying to find its feet and even the unsettling of a whole industry.

    My other suggestion. NCC and the other agencies of government should leave the President alone to face a much bigger assignment that has been thrusted upon him. Having already stated that Tinubu is a big business man and a wealthy man (even his wife said so), what this writer will want to hear is that all his business interests have been consolidated in a Blind Trust where they will suffer no manipulation of power and influence, and insulated from conflict of interest. He will be celebrated for embracing probity, away from a past silhouetted in a welter of controversies.

  • Service providers should block reported stolen SIM card under five minutes – NCC

    Service providers should block reported stolen SIM card under five minutes – NCC

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has proposed a 5 minutes time frame for blocking a stolen Subscribers Identity Module (SIM Card) instead of the presently used 30 minutes.

    The NCC made this proposal known during the three-day public inquiries of six regulatory instruments at the commission in Abuja on Monday.

    While presenting the Draft Quality of Service Business Rules, the Deputy Director, Technical Standards and Networks Integrity Department, Edoyemi Ogoh, noted that this amendment was being made.

    He noted that service providers should endevour to block a stolen sim card in five minutes  after it has been reported

    He said, “For Section1.3H, this subsection basically, we are talking about the request for blocking of reported stolen phones. We are looking at once it is reported and confirmed stolen to basically reduce the timeline from 30 minutes to five minutes.”

    He said the reason for the amendment of the entire regulation was to catch up with the changes in the technological space, and stay up to date with that was happening in the industry.

    According to him, the essence was to ensure that subscribers got value for their money.

    In his opening remark, the NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman, Prof Umar Danbatta, noted that the communications sector was critical for innovation and advancement in technology.

    He added that the regulatory instruments reviewed during the public inquiry were essential to ensuring that the communications sector met the demands of the dynamic digital age.

    Danbatta said, “The communications sector is at the forefront of innovation and advancements in technology geared towards driving economic growth and societal development. It affords seamless communication, fosters connectivity and thereby creates an enabling environment to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.

    “However, with the laudable advancements in the sector comes great responsibility on the part of government to ensure that there exists an enabling environment for the industry to thrive, through the introduction/amendment of key regulatory instruments.

    “The regulatory instruments being considered during the course of this public inquiry are vital to ensuring that the communications sector meets the demands of the ever-evolving digital age.”

     

  • NCC raises alarm over fraudulent LinkedIn account impersonating EVC

    NCC raises alarm over fraudulent LinkedIn account impersonating EVC

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has drawn the attention of the public to a fraudulent LinkedIn account impersonating the person, and office of the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta.

    This is contained in a statement released on Friday by Reuben Muoka, NCC’s Director of Public Affairs.

    According to the statement, the LinkedIn account “was obviously created by some unscrupulous and criminal elements with a view to defrauding unsuspecting members of the public and users of social media who may think that such an account belongs to the EVC of NCC”.

    The statement reads: “For the avoidance of doubt, the EVC/CEO of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, has no LinkedIn Account. Therefore, any such account found on social media or any other platform, purporting to belong to the EVC of NCC, is fake!

    “We are working with appropriate security agencies to investigate the source of this fraudulent act with a view to nipping it to the bud.

    “We urge members of the public, and our esteemed stakeholders to be cautious, and vigilant, while on social media platforms, or in the cyberspace as many of these fraudulent individuals and groups abound, looking for unsuspecting users to defraud.

    “The Commission has a presence on the Internet with the official website (www.ncc.gov.ng), and key social media platforms. All information about our activities, programmes and reports are verifiable on our website and on our verified social media handles.

    “We also encourage everyone to follow our official social media accounts for credible updates and announcements.

    “Members of the public are advised to be carefully guided when accessing or using information from social media”.