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Tag: NCC

  • 22 institutions, MSMEs set to enjoy N16.7b broadband access projects

    22 institutions, MSMEs set to enjoy N16.7b broadband access projects

    More than 22 institutions in the country, comprising 18 universities, and six polytechnics, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), drawn evenly from the six geopolitical zones in the country, have benefited from a Federal Government’s broadband infrastructure projects designed to accelerate the Nigeria Digital Economy efforts.

    At the unveiling of the projects being driven by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which held at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami,  who presided over the event, said the projects underscores the importance of broadband connectivity and access as central to the accomplishment of the targets of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020-2030 for a digital Nigeria, and that the project is in line with the mandates of President Muhammadu Buhari on job creation and economic diversification.

    Pantami, who was joined by the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Mohammed Bello at the event, disclosed that the key infrastructure being provided for the project, comprise of broadband infrastructure for tertiary institutions of learning; broadband infrastructure for MSME; distribution of 6,000 e-pad tablets, in addition to provision of broadband connectivity to 20 markets as a pilot.

    He said the interest in supporting the MSMEs is justified by their current contribution of more than half of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) prior to COVID-19 outbreak, and now constitute 96.7 per cent of entire businesses in the country, and therefore, “any effort to develop our economy without bringing such important sector into the equation will amount to efforts in futility.”

    At the event, which had in attendance the Chairman of the Board of the NCC, Prof. Adeolu Akande; the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta; the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abubakar Rasheed; and the Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Prof Idris Bugaje, a book authored by Pantami, titled “Skills Rather Than Just Degrees” with foreword written by Brad Smith, President of Microsoft Corporation, was unveiled for the industry.

    Pantami said the book is his intellectual contribution to bridging skills gap to enable Nigerians to tap into the opportunities that exist in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and other sectors of the economy.

    The book was reviewed by three different Vice Chancellors – Prof. Muhammad Abdulazeez of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi; Prof Owuanari Georgewill of University of Port Harcourt; and Prof. Sagir Adamu Abbas of Bayero University Kano, who commended the efforts of the Minister in putting his thoughts and experience to paper. They recommended the book, which they commended highly.

    In their comments, NCC’s Akande and Danbatta, corroborated that the project will fast-track and enhance the ongoing efforts of the NCC’s to deepen connectivity towards achieving the targeted broadband penetration of 70 per cent by 2025.

    NCC’s Chairman, Prof. Akande, assured of the commitment of the Commission in completing the projects, which will add the necessary fillip to achieving the major objectives spelt out in the NDEPS, 2020-2030.

    The EVC of NCC, Prof. Danbatta, highlighted the Commission’s drive towards deepening broadband penetration in the country and the promotion of digital skills acquisition to improve service delivery in other sectors of the economy, including education, commerce, healthcare, agriculture, finance, transportation, governance, among others.

    The event attracted so many stakeholders especially from the academia, as well as technology enthusiasts, including prospective start-up companies, fintech organisations and other interested sectors whose activities are billed to be energized through diligent implementation of the NDEPS and other extant policies guiding the digital economy agenda of the Nigerian government.

  • FG provides broadband infrastructure for 22 institutions, MSMEs

    FG provides broadband infrastructure for 22 institutions, MSMEs

    The Federal Government has launched the provision of broadband infrastructure in 22 higher academic institutions and for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the six geopolitical zones of the country.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the 22 institutions comprise of 18 universities and six polytechnics drawn evenly from the six geopolitical zones in the country.

    The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, during the launch on Thursday in Abuja, said the initiative was aimed at boosting the economic drive of the current administration in various sectors.

    He said the project, which was to be implemented by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), was approved by the Federal Executive Council, after the presentation by the minister.

    He also said this was to accelerate broadband penetration in Nigeria and advance the course of digital economy projections for the nation.

    He said that digital connectivity and expanding access to information played key roles in enhancing the economy.

    According to him, the World Bank estimated that an increase in the digitally-connected people across the globe to 75 per cent.

    Pantami said: ”This will result in an addition of up to $2 trillion dollars per year to world GDP and a creation of about 140 million jobs.

    “Similarly, a report by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation states that 80 per cent of economic benefits in developing countries are as a result of the use of ICTs and digital skills.

    “While in developed countries, it is even higher at 90 per cent.”

    Pantami said that Nigeria had experienced the impact of the digital economy on other sectors of the economy.

    The minister added: “You will recall that the digital economy of Nigeria played a key role in stabilising and growing other sectors of our economy.

    “The ICT sector also enabled Nigeria to exit the recession triggered by COVID-19, a year earlier than predicted by experts.

    “In particular, the ICT sector grew by 14.70 per cent in the last quarter of 2020 and was the only sector that grew by double digits in this quarter and in the entire year 2020.”

    Pantami reiterated that digital connectivity, access, and skills were critical to human and economic development in both developed and developing countries.

    He listed the beneficiary tertiary institutions to include: University Of Lagos, College Of Education (Special), Ibadan, as well as Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

    Others were : University Of Nigeria, Nsukka, Federal Univeristy Of Technology, Owerri and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.

    The rest were: University Of Calabar, University Of Benin, University Of Port Harcourt, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Bayero University, Kano, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University, Katsina, Borno University, and ATBU, Bauchi.

    Others were:  Gombe University, Federal University Of Technology, Minna, University Of Ilorin and University Of Abuja.

  • Auction of remaining 5G spectrum will take place as planned – NCC

    Auction of remaining 5G spectrum will take place as planned – NCC

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said the auction of the remaining 5G spectrum will take place as planned.

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

    Recall that the NCC had in December 2022 auctioned the first two (2) lots of 3.5GHz spectrum for the deployment of 5G network across the country.

    The Commission in response to requests for more spectrum lots to be made available had estimated a period of 24 months to clear all encumbrances in the remaining two (2) lots of the 3.5GHz band.

    The Information Memorandum that guided the 2021 auction process stated the Commission’s intention to migrate incumbent users of the remaining portion of the C-band to free up Spectrum and make it available for the deployment of new services.

    According to the statement, NCC has achieved the clearance earlier than the estimated 24 months, thus making the spectrum available for licensing.

    The statement reads: “We, therefore, wish to reassure all stakeholders and investors, that the processes and schedule for the Auction of two (2) lots of 3.5GHz Spectrum will take place as planned.

    “The final Information Memorandum for the Auction has been published on the Commission’s website. Interested applicants are advised to adhere to the requirements as specified in the Information Memorandum for participation in the Auction”.

    Meanwhile, NCC in the statement insisted that spectrum licensing via Auction is one of the most transparent methods of assigning Spectrum resources globally.

  • How fraudulent persons hack social media apps – NCC-CSIRT

    How fraudulent persons hack social media apps – NCC-CSIRT

    A new method has been devised by hackers to take over people’s messaging app on social media, the Nigerian Communications Commission Response Team (NCC-CSIRT) has revealed.

    According to NCC-CSIRT, the discovery affect Virtual Private Network (VPN) which in turn compromise the messaging app.

    Meanwhile, the CSIRT has warned app users not to underestimate the two-factor authentication to protect their Telegram accounts and to not download unknown Advanced IP Scanner Software.

    Using the Telegram app as a case study, a Ukrainian cyber expert dissected method used by hackers to carry out their hatchet job.

    The Ukrainian cyber experts discovered the attack, which uses Vidar Malware (Vidar Stealer) to steal Telegram session data, which in the absence of configured two-factor authentication and a passcode, allows unauthorized access to the victim’s telegram account and corporate account or network.

    The malware, which exploits unauthorized access to users’ Telegram accounts and corporate accounts to steal data, targets platforms across iOS, Android, Linux, Mac and Windows Operating Systems.

    “The Ukrainian CERT alleged that a Somnia Ransomware was created to be used on Telegram that tricks users to download an installer that mimics ‘Advanced IP Scanner’ software, which contains Vidar Malware. The installer infects the system with the Vidar stealer, which steals the victim’s Telegram session data to take control of their account.

    “The threat actors abuse the victim’s Telegram account in some unspecified manner to steal VPN connection data (authentication and certificates). If the VPN account is not protected by two-factor authentication passcode, the hackers use it to gain unauthorized access to the victim’s employer’s corporate network”, the alert and advisory states.

    “Once inside, the intruders conduct reconnaissance work using tools like Netscan, Rclone, Anydesk, and Ngrok, to perform various surveillance and remote access activities, and then deploy a Cobalt Strike beacon, exfiltrating data using the Rclone program,” the report stated.

    The CSIRT is the telecom sector’s cyber security incidence centre set up by the NCC to focus on incidents in the telecom sector and as they may affect telecom consumers and citizens at large.

    The CSIRT also works collaboratively with ngCERT, established by the Federal Government to reduce the volume of future computer risk incidents by preparing, protecting, and securing Nigerian cyberspace to forestall attacks and problems or related events.

    The Nigerian Communications Commission ( NCC) is the independent regulatory authority for the telecommunications industry in Nigeria. The NCC was created under Decree number 75 by the Federal Military Government of Nigeria on 24 November 1992.

  • 5G: Spectrum Cap, Spectrum Auction and matters miscellaneous – By Okoh Aihe

    5G: Spectrum Cap, Spectrum Auction and matters miscellaneous – By Okoh Aihe

    With the Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum held mid November and the publication of the final Information Memorandum (IM) on the website of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), it is no longer in doubt that the 5G Auction scheduled for December 19, 2022, will hold. All initial doubt and public apprehension pale into insignificance except that they help to incident a huge process that could still be up for questioning in the future.

    At the Stakeholders Forum, which held in Lagos, healthy concerns were raised. The Reserve Price (RP) of US$273,600,000 for one Lot of 100MHz TDD for a ten (10) year licence tenure, was on the high side, they observed. Having participated in the last Auction which was held last December, Airtel,  who participated in that process, canvassed to be offered one Lot through an administrative process, meaning it would not have to be part of the Auction process again but allowed to pay the RP. MTN,who was one of the winners and has commenced limited 5G service roll out, the other being Mafab, made a case to be allowed to participate in the December 2022 Auction. Ikenna Ikeme, General Manager, Regulatory Affairs at MTN, explained that his organisation participated last year because it had the understanding that it would be an open Auction going forward. Of course there was an outrage because that would confer the status of a dominant player on MTN in the nascent 5G sector in Nigeria.

    The outrage was rooted in the draft IM which pegged the Spectrum Cap at 100MHz per operator. The Cap is the spectrum upper limit that an operator could not exceed. When the regulator auctioned 2 Lots of 100 MHz each in the 3.5 GHz band, ranging from 3500 – 3600 MHz and 3700 to 3800 MHz last year, they were won by MTN and Mafab. That success ironically rendered them unsuitable for the current process that will peak on December 19, 2022.

    Sensing the complexity of responses, the regulator had to do a quick rethink and take immediate action. The RP stays, like words carved in stone, except that this is liquid cash. To even have a little sniff at 5G services, Airtel must go to the Auction and show its financial strength. Then the big one that seemed impossible. MTN will be part of the Auction. This became manifest in the final IM. Not that it was stated clearly but a little magic wand to redeem the regulator from a sure imminent headache.

    “The Commission places a cap of 200MHz as the maximum amount of Spectrum an Applicant can acquire in the 3.5GHz band. A Licensee with an existing Assignment in the 3.5GHz band is eligible to bid for only one (1) Lot of 100MHz. However, Applicants without Spectrum holding in the 3.5GHz band are eligible to bid for the two Lots on offer,” the IM stated.

    Like shifting the goalposts when the game is already on? Not at all. There was an immediate need to apply cooling balm on a business process that should have been heated up if decisions went contrary.

    How? This writer was informed by a source within the Commission that, based on decisions and promises made last year, MTN would have had a good reason to go to court if it was pressed to. There is no need for any litigation now.

    There is yet another angle to this story. What really is the purpose of this Auction? The regulator tried to provide an answer.

    “I want to disabuse the mind of those who feel that the objective of the NCC to auction the first and the second rounds of the 5G spectrum bands is to generate money for the Federal Government. This is not correct. The overriding consideration is not to generate money for the Federal Government but principally to ensure deployment of 5G services that enhance better life for Nigerians and the growth of the nation’s economy as a whole through provision of qualitative high-speed Internet services that increase productivity and efficiency across sectors,” the Executive Vice Chairman, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, explained at the Forum.

    There is no need for disputation here. His sense of patriotism is duly recognised. But three things, we insist,  seem to be at play here in this order – cash, desperation to satisfy some interests, and efficient service delivery.

    We also want to observe here that in doing an Auction, the regulator must look out for organisations and individuals that can validate the process through their participation and the ability to raise the cash. MTN is one of such organisations. The organisation’s sense of patriotism and commitment to the country and her economy, no matter the political uncertainties, cannot be faulted. In nearly every Spectrum Auction, MTN participates and pays up immediately.

    A source within the regulatory authority gave this testimony. “If not for the likes of MTN, we would have been in a mess right now. MTN has a good corporate structure. And in terms of corporate governance, they are number one.”

    A long story has been told in such a few words. MTN is paradigmatic of what is good in the telecommunications industry, such corporate spruce up, has also attracted a streak of envy that earns it no good report.

    What does the regulator want this time? One of the 5G licenses given out last year went to  Mafab at $273.5m. The money was quickly paid by the winner. But for Mafab, 5G remains a greenfield, which is perhaps the reason it is still struggling to roll out services. Summary: the people don’t have any service from Mafab yet.

    If the regulator will want to place emphasis on cash and service delivery without any emphasis on patronage, we plead to provide this cautionary support by telling the story of India once more. When the country concluded her 5G spectrum sales on August 1, 2022, a bouquet of spectrum bands – 600MHz, 700MHz, 800MHz, 1.8GHz, 2.1GHz, 2.3GHz, 3.3GHz and 26GHz, were on offer.

    At the final sound of the bell, Reliance Jo had a lion share of the sales, shelling out a humongous $11.15bn, Bharti Airtel followed with $5.45bn, Vodafone Idea (Vi) came third with $2.37bn, while wireless service provider Adani Group, kept a distant rear with $26.84m.

    The entire package was about $19bn, which is a very huge amount coming from just a sector of the economy within a few days. There is no doubt that emphasis was on money but they also ensured that the licenses went to those who could afford them and had the proof of ability to roll out services. This is what I will suggest to the NCC. Give licenses to those who can pay. Those who can roll out service. Forget about market dominance and platitudinous innuendoes.

    Finally, let me state very clearly that I support the transparency claims of the NCC in executing its regulatory responsibilities. But time has come to remove legacy blinkers from the eyes and face up with the reality that certain things are not going well in the telecommunications industry. Competition is impaired, services are growing increasingly worse, and there are loud complaints of an overbearing external influence on the Commission.

    I can observe that President Muhammadu Buhari is struggling to at least have one legacy to point to after May next year. 5G obviously is an easy pick. The NCC should make his job easy by conducting a good Auction that will yield results in cash and in service delivery.

  • Pantami kickstarts landmark broadband projects

    Pantami kickstarts landmark broadband projects

    Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, will on Thursday, November 24, 2022, in Abuja, preside over the commencement of landmark broadband initiatives to be implemented by the Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC) to accelerate broadband penetration in Nigeria and advance the course of digital economy projections for the nation.

    The event will witness the award of contracts for the provision of broadband infrastructure for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), as well as for tertiary and higher institutions of learning across the six geopolitical zones of the country.

    Pantami is also billed to present a book, SKILLS RATHER THAN JUST DEGREES, authored by him, with a foreword written by Brad Smith, President, Microsoft Corporation.

    The list of projects for the various geopolitical zones that are set for launch were recently approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), after presentation by the Minister. The projects are expected to be completed within six months, from the date of the award.

    Well-known tech companies have been selected through a transparent tendering process by the NCC for the implementation of the strategic projects.

    The event is expected to attract multi-stakeholders from the academia, technology enthusiasts, including prospective start-up companies, fintech organisations and other interested sectors, whose activities are billed to energize the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020-2030.

    The provision of broadband infrastructure for the MSMEs in Nigeria, and for tertiary institutions across the six geopolitical zones of the country will add the necessary fillip towards achieving the major objectives spelt out in the NDEPS 2020-2030.

  • NCC sets spectrum cap for second 5G auction

    NCC sets spectrum cap for second 5G auction

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has set a cap of 200MHz as the maximum amount of Spectrum an applicant can acquire in the 3.5GHz band for the deployment of 5G network across the country.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports this is contained in the final Information Memorandum on 3.5 GHz spectrum auction published by the NCC on Friday.

    This means that MTN Nigeria and Mafab Communications which had earlier won the 100MHz auction in December 2021 are eligible to participate in this second auction of 5G spectrum.

    Airtel that lost in the first 5G spectrum auction; Glo, 9mobile and other smaller network operators are expected to participate in this second auction.

    Recall that NCC held the first 5G auction in December 2021 with MTN and Mafab dislodging Airtel Nigeria to emerge winners in 11 rounds of bidding that lasted eight hours.

    In the final Information Memorandum, the Commission placed a cap of 200MHz as the maximum amount of spectrum an applicant can acquire in the 3.5GHz band.

    A licensee with an existing assignment in the 3.5GHz band, i.e. MTN and Mafab are eligible to bid for only one (1) Lot of 100MHz in this second 5G auction.

    However, applicants without spectrum holding in the 3.5GHz band, including Airtel, Glo, 9mobile and others, are eligible to bid for the two Lots on offer.

    The final Information Memorandum will guide the upcoming auction of the remaining lots of the 3.5 GHz spectrum for the deployment of 5G services in Nigeria.

    Earlier, the Commission had published the draft of the Information Memorandum and requested stakeholders to make comments and inputs into the document to enrich its contents.

    Subsequently, stakeholders’ comments were collated and discussed at a Stakeholder’s Engagement forum hosted by NCC on November 15, 2022 at Marriott Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.

    According to the Information Memorandum for the second 5G auction, the Commission will not reserve Spectrum for any group or entity, stressing that reservation is considered discriminatory and capable of creating an uneven playing field.

    Barring any last-minute changes, the second 5G spectrum auction will hold on 19th December 2022 at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.

    However, to qualify to bid in the auction, an applicant does not have to be a licensed network operator in Nigeria, opening the field for new entrants in the telecom sector.

    Any successful bidder without a Unified Access Service Licence (UASL) will be issued one and is expected to pay the specified licence fee in addition to the auction winning bid price.

    The tenure for the UASL will be Ten (10) years, subject to renewal, according to the Information Memorandum.

    TNG learnt the reserve price for the auction, being the minimum price for one lot of 100MHz TDD for a ten (10) year licence tenure, has been fixed at US$273.6 million or its equivalent in Naira at the prevailing Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) rates at the time of the auction.

    Meanwhile, the fee for the ten (10) year spectrum licence will be determined at the auction. The opening bid will be an increment higher than the reserve price in the opening round of the auction.

    A successful bidder at the auction will be expected to pay a sum equal to the amount of the winning bid minus the IBD, as well as an operational Licence fee (where applicable).

    An applicant must not have a relationship with another applicant. A relationship is defined as a situation where an applicant has a direct or indirect ownership stake of 10% or more in another Applicant.

    Licensed operators participating in the process must be in Good Regulatory Standing with the NCC.

  • 5G auction driven by pursuit of better quality of life, not revenue – Danbatta

    5G auction driven by pursuit of better quality of life, not revenue – Danbatta

    Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Professor Umar Danbatta, has said in Lagos, Tuesday, that the efforts by the Commission to timely auction available spectrum for 5G services in Nigeria, is primarily driven by the pursuit to join the global community to advance digital services and enhance quality communications infrastructure for the benefit of the citizenry, and not by the need to attract revenue for government.

    Danbatta, who spoke to a cross section of industry players at the Marriott Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, during the Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum on the Draft Information Memorandum for the 3.5GHz Spectrum Auction hosted by the Commission, said there is need for stakeholders to understand the genuine vision of the Commission to equip the nation with the latest technologies and services which is the focus of the efforts to deploy 5G services nationwide.

    “I want to disabuse the mind of those who feel that the objective of the NCC to auction the first and the second rounds of the 5G spectrum bands is to generate money for the Federal Government. This is not correct. The overriding consideration is not to generate money for the Federal Government but principally to ensure deployment of 5G services that enhance better life for Nigerians and the growth of the nation’s economy as a whole through provision of qualitative high-speed Internet services that increase productivity and efficiency across sectors.

    “For those who are conversant with developments in the industry, the proactive regulatory approach of the Commission in transiting Nigeria from 1G, to 2G, 3G, 4G and now to 5G has brought remarkable socio-economic developments, transforming lives and businesses. This clarification is very important at this stage to put to rest the insinuations and misconceptions being bandied in certain quarters. Our intent is purely to digitally transform Nigeria and Nigerians towards becoming a leading digital economy not only in Africa but globally and where telecoms continue to be a major enabler and contributor to the nation’s economic growth,” the EVC said.

    Danbatta also explained the rationale behind the need to conduct an auction on the second round of the 5G spectrum sale. According to him, following the successful auction of the initial two lots of the 5G spectrum in December 2021, the Commission had received requests to administratively licence the remaining lots at the exact fee the initial two lots were auctioned.

    However, the Commission, in exercise of its powers under the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, has decided to licence the available lots in the 3.5GHz band through the Auction Method which is a transparent and efficient approach that can open opportunities for new entrants as well as deepen competition in the industry.

    “The Commission has committed enormous resources to ensure that harmonized Spectrum is secured and released in a timely manner for present and future rollout of services that will unleash the potentials of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), including International Mobile Telecommunication (IMT-2020) services. We have kept ourselves abreast of developments at international fora, including ITU-R Study Groups to enable the allocation of strategic Spectrum to IMT services especially the IMT-2020 which has been on the front burner in the last two ITU-R Study Cycles”, the EVC explained.

    “Hence, it is important that we ensure the timely release of the Spectrum bands necessary for 5G deployment to the industry to enable us reap the immediate and envisioned benefits of 5G technology and facilitate the development of Nigeria’s Digital Economy to foster national growth,” he said.

    Representatives of telecoms companies, media and other stakeholders made additional inputs into the Draft IM in addition to the comments and inputs already received via correspondence before the forum commenced. The NCC’s Executive Commissioner Technical Services, Engr. Ubale Maska, who is also the Auction Adviser, also reminded stakeholders at the forum that Commission will still take comments up to close of business on 17th November 2022 just before the final IM that will guide the auction process is published on 18th November 2022.

    The Commission has developed a draft Information Memorandum (IM) for the Auction of the 3.5GHz band which has been published on its website on 21st October 2022, to enable stakeholders review and make inputs and comments.  The Tuesday, November 15, 2022 forum in Lagos, was to deliberate on the draft document and take contributions from stakeholders to enrich the quality of the document for auction process and towards the efficient management and utilization of this important spectrum resource in line with global best practices.

  • Credible journalism can influence credible elections – Danbatta

    Credible journalism can influence credible elections – Danbatta

    As the campaigns and build-up to the 2023 general elections thicken, the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, has said that the media holds the ace in making a difference in promoting credible elections in Nigeria.

    Danbatta told the gathering of the cream of Nigerian editors at the 18th All-Nigeria Editors Conference, organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) at the Concord Hotels in Owerri, Imo State, with the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma in attendance, where he reiterated the importance of the roles of the journalists, before, during and after the 2023 elections.

    In Danbatta’s goodwill to the conference, delivered by the Director, Public Affairs of the Commission, Reuben Muoka, he expressed the confidence that the vibrant Nigerian media, credited with its sterling performance from the history of struggle for the country’s political independence, where Nigerian nationalists, who were good journalists made “brilliant and courageous outing”, will work in the interest of the nation.

    Speaking to the theme of the conference, “2023: Political Landscape, Credible Elections and the Role of the Editors”, Danbatta declared that good journalism is critical to sustainable democratic culture as political stability is enhanced by conduct of successful elections.

    He said he “believes the editors will leave the conference with resolutions setting clear, unambiguous and very robust parameters to guide the role of the media in the forthcoming elections in a fair, objective and balanced manner.”

    “Beyond and above the traditional routine role of the media in information-sharing, education and entertainment, the media is a social agency constitutionally charged to watch those of us in public office from derailing from the pursuit of the social contract and the social good. No other agency of the civil society is so positioned to influence social progress,” he declared.

    He also informed the gathering that the Commission is dedicated to the implementation of the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (2020-2025), and the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (2020-2030), among other regulatory instruments, with a view to enhancing connectivity and social cohesion in the land. Hence, he said befitting infrastructure, including the upcoming 5G spectrum auction, are all aimed at improving availability and accessibility and affordability. He said there is no doubt that the availability of telecommunications infrastructure will enhance credibility of elections.

    Danbatta specifically expressed gratitude to the Nigeria media for trusting the NCC and supporting its efforts to fulfil its mandate right from the beginning of the transition from “state-dominated telecommunication operations to a deregulated, more liberalised market.”

    The EVC recalled that NCC’s friendship and partnership with the media have been very mutually-fruitful, as the Commission has leveraged on the media for increased awareness by the public of NCC’s activities, programmes and achievements.

    Danbatta also commended the journalists covering the telecom sector as well as other communication professionals for supporting the Commission all the way by giving adequate and prominent coverage to its successes in consumer protection, improvement in infrastructure, adoption of new technologies, most recently, the launch of the Fifth Generation (5G) networks, and reportage of challenges facing the telecom industry.

  • NCC convenes stakeholder forum on December 5G auction

    NCC convenes stakeholder forum on December 5G auction

    The proposed auction of two lots in the 3.5GHz Spectrum for the deployment of 5G services, set to take place in December 2022, is gathering steam and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has concluded arraignments to host an engagement session with stakeholders to discuss and provide more insight into the Draft Information Memorandum that will guide the process.

    The Commission had earlier announced the plan to license additional lots in the 3.5 GHz spectrum band for the deployment of 5G (fifth generation) Global System of Mobile communication).

    The interactive session with the stakeholders will take place at the Marriot Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, by 9:00 am prompt on the 15th of November 2022.

    The engagement session will feature comments and submissions made by the different stakeholders on the Draft Information Memorandum. The outcome of the submission will be taken into consideration by the Commission in publishing the Information Memorandum for the auction.

    The process for the auction of the proposed lots of frequencies for 5G services, commenced on 21 October 2022 with the publication of the Draft Information Memorandum on the Commission’s website.

    Stakeholders have been advised, in an earlier statement and subsequent advertisements, by the Commission to study the Information Memorandum and make their comments and questions available to the Commission.