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Tag: Umar Danbatta

  • How we are bolstering Nigeria’s digital transformation with experiences at ITU – Danbatta

    How we are bolstering Nigeria’s digital transformation with experiences at ITU – Danbatta

    The Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) vast experience as a long-standing member of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has served as a booster to the Commission in its effective implementation of government policies, and in stimulating regulatory initiatives focused on advancing Nigeria’s digital transformation. The NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, has said.

    Danbatta stated this while addressing global actors in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry at the ongoing Session of the ITU Council taking place in-person at the ITU Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, from March 21-31, 2022.

    Speaking at the Council session, Danbatta said the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic underscore the important role ICT will continue to play in ensuring peace, security and prosperity around the world. “It is as a result of the enabling experiences in the ITU ecosystem that Nigeria continue to be active and forward-looking regarding the activities of the ITU as the leading organ of the United Nations (UN) in the area of ICT,” he said.

    He emphasised that, as a long-standing member of Council, Nigeria has utilised ICT as a driver of socio-economic development not just for herself, but also for the benefit of the sub-region and the continent, given its role as a founding member and flagship promoter of the West African Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA).

    “Over the years, as a member of ITU, Nigeria has chaired World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC)-15; chaired ITU Council Standing Committee on Administration and Management (SC-ADM), in 2019 and 2022; as well as chaired the Ad-Hoc Committee on ITU Regional Presence”, the EVC said to underscore the strategic, symbiotic relationship between Nigeria and ITU.

    Reinforcing the intensity of his assertion on the contribution of Nigeria in ITU, Danbatta said, “Nigeria had also chaired ITU-Standardization (ITU-T) Study Group 20 Regional Group for Africa; served as Vice Chairman, ITU-T Study group 20; served as Vice-Chair, ITU-T Study Group 12; Vice-Chair, ITU-Development D Study Group 2; as well as provided Financial Support to ITU Headquarters Building, among others”.

    The EVC said this robust experience in ITU has continued to enable Nigeria, through NCC, and was particularly instrumental to the recent management of a globally-acclaimed transparent auction of Fifth Generation 5G licence in 2021; achieve 40.88 per cent broadband penetration in Nigeria as at December 2021; implement robust financial inclusion initiatives; as well as in the promotion of universal access across institutions and communities in Nigeria through the NCC’s Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF). “All these were made possible through the successful launch and implementation of policies to foster use of ICTs across all sectors and enhance a digital economy,” he said.

    Meanwhile, the EVC has used the opportunity of his brief remarks during the Council session to announce Nigeria’s intent to seek re-election to ITU Council during the forthcoming Plenipotentiary Conferences. According to Danbatta, having Nigeria re-elected will help the country to continue to collaborate with and support ITU’s development agenda, ensure effective and efficient implementation of ITU Resolutions, implement inclusive programmes to foster universal use of ICT across all divides, and provide focused and strategic partnership. “We look forward to a robust Council session and subsequent support for Nigeria during the forthcoming elections,” Danbatta stated.

    The ITU is governed by the Plenipotentiary Conference and the Administrative Council. The Plenipotentiary Conference is the supreme organ of the Union. It is the decision making body which determines the direction of the Union and its activities.

    The Council, on the other hand, acts as the Union’s governing body in the interval between Plenipotentiary Conferences. Its role is to consider broad telecommunication policy issues to ensure that the Union’s activities, policies and strategies fully respond to today’s dynamic, rapidly-changing telecommunications environment.

    The ITU Plenipotentiary Conference for this year is scheduled to take place in Bucharest, Romania, from Monday, September 26 to October 14, 2022.

  • NCC backs Bayelsa’s drive to boost digital infrastructure

    NCC backs Bayelsa’s drive to boost digital infrastructure

    In keeping with its renowned tradition and belief in strategic partnership and collaboration, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has expressed its readiness to collaborate with the Bayelsa State Government in accelerating telecommunications infrastructure deployment, digital literacy and skills in the State.

    The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, reiterated this commitment during a courtesy visit by a delegation from Bayelsa State to the Management of NCC in Abuja recently.

    Stating the purpose of the visit to the Commission, Bayelsa State’s Commissioner for Communications, Science and Technology, Dr. Promise Ekio Ekio, who led the delegation, said Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector is one of the critical areas that the state government has identified for priority to accelerate the growth of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the State in order to bolster employment for the youths of the state and to nudge their interest in digital culture.

    Ekio said that while the plan to leverage ICT for socio-economic development of Bayelsa State has been uppermost in the agenda of the state government, several engagements made by the State government with industry stakeholders are yet to receive concrete action, apparent due to lack of robust telecommunications services in the State.

    “Therefore, it is our fervent hope that this meeting will be the beginning of a partnership that will blossom in the areas of digital training and rapid ICT infrastructural development, for the benefit of the people of Bayelsa State and other Nigerians living in the State. We want to assure the Commission of our preparedness to work closely with it to fulfill its mandate in the State as well as actualise the vision of Bayelsa State government to leverage ICT for accelerating development,” Ekio said.

    Also, the Bayelsa State Commissioner Communication, Science and Technology, commended the NCC for the good works it is doing in fast-tracking implementation of the digital economy initiatives of the Federal Government by being upbeat in consolidating the gains of the telecommunications sector. The Commissioner promise that Bayelsa State will also provide necessary incentives to accelerate ICT deployment in the State.

    Responding to his guests, Danbatta, who was represented during the meeting by NCC’s Director, Digital Economy, Dr. Augustine Nwaulune, commended Bayelsa State Government for seeking collaboration with NCC to stimulate economic growth through telecommunication services and assured that NCC is a ready and willing partner of Bayelsa State on telecoms and ICT.
    While the Commission is willing to partner with state governments and other relevant institutions to ensure universal access and universal services, Danbatta said efforts shall be made collaboratively to ensure that relevant infrastructure needed to delivering ubiquitous telecom services to achieve Bayelsa’s socio-economic goal are prioritized.

    Danbatta emphasized the Commission’s recognition of the importance of infrastructure expansion in achieving Federal Government’s vision on digital economy. Citing the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025 as one of the initiatives of the Federal Government instituted to bolster infrastructure expansion, Danbatta stated that the implementation of the Plan is essentially driven by NCC. He promised that NCC will ensure that infrastructure gaps in the telecommunications sector are bridged to accomplish Government’s vision in the context of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy 2020-30.

    Explicating further, Danbatta stated that, to accelerate broadband infrastructure deployment in the South-South geo-political zone where Bayelsa State is situated, the NCC had licensed Messrs Raeaana Limited, as one of the seven licensed Infrastructure Companies (InfraCos), authorised to cascade fibre to deepen the penetration of broadband services in all nooks and crannies of the country. “The InfraCo licensees have been given timelines to work in their respective zones of deployment to cascade fibre infrastructure to the rural communities, covering the 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) to enhance robust telecom service provisioning in the country”, the EVC stated.

    Meanwhile, Danbatta has urged the Bayelsa State Government to revisit the Right of Way (RoW) charges imposed by the State and other issues capable of encumbering faster deployment of infrastructure in the State. “This will boost digital infrastructure rollout in towns and communities in Bayelsa State and environs for effective economic diversification. The digital economy rides on broadband and ICT infrastructure and one of the factors inhibiting access to telecommunication infrastructure is RoW administration by States and other state actors” he said.

    Danbatta also emphasised the importance of comprehensive training for the youth in Bayelsa State and equipping them with ICT tools to enable them to thrive in a digital economy. “On this, the NCC will collaborate with Bayelsa to provide training for the youth as long as the State Government provide necessary tools required to achieve objective outcomes of such capacity building initiatives”, he said.

  • NCC, LBS mull collaboration on capacity building

    NCC, LBS mull collaboration on capacity building

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Lagos Business School of Pan-Atlantic University are considering forging a partnership that will result in developing customised capacity building interventions and overhauling of existing training courses offered by the LBS to address critical areas of needs of the Commission’s human capital development.

    The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, emphasized the imperative of such collaboration during a visit of an LBS delegation led by the School’s Director, Executive Education, Victor Banji, to the Commission’s Head Office in Abuja recently.

    The EVC spoke through NCC’s Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Adeleke Adewolu, who received the LBS delegation (alongside other senior management staff of the Commission) on behalf of the EVC.

    Addressing the visiting team, Adewolu said NCC constantly engages in staff training as part its strategy to build managerial and technical skills required to manage the ever-dynamic telecoms regulatory environment in Nigeria.

    Adewolu said while LBS, has been a training partner of NCC over the years and currently provides some classes of capacity building to staff of the Commission, it has become necessary to expand the training scope by ensuring that other customized programmes that target specific needs of Commission’s human capital are designed by the School in collaboration with NCC team to meet strategic objectives and enhance the relationship of the two organisations.

    Among the areas of interest to the Commission are courses on performance appraisal management, policy formulation and execution, risk management, technical report writing, telecoms-related training, tariff and competition management, as well as basic training on policy formulation and implementation, social media training, audio-visual editing, among others.

    “I thank the LBS for its collaboration with NCC over the years in the area of human capital development. However, we expect that LBS will work with NCC to see how we can collectively overhaul the existing courses and bring new course to NCC’s attention which we would, in turn, subject to our training need analysis (TNA). This may result in a review of ur existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) towards making our relationship much stronger and more mutually beneficial,” Adewolu said.

    The Executive Commissioner also explained that though NCC is a regulatory agency, it has seen the need for indigenous digital skills development in Nigeria, and that explained the creation creation of the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), by the Commission to meet the human capital needs of the burgeoning telecom, and broadly, the ICT sector.

    According to Adewolu, other areas of focus in meeting educational needs of the sector, include indigenous digital skills development, sponsoring of hackathon, provision of research grants to the academia, endowment of professorial chairs in universities, and the acceleration of digital infrastructure deployment across the country to boost digital literacy and skills for Nigeria’s socio-economic development.

    Speaking earlier on the purpose of the visit to the Commission, Banji of LBS, said the business school wishes to serve as a strategic capacity development partner to NCC for its teaming staff; revisit LBS’s existing MoU for necessary enhancements; as well as offer corporate governance, board leadership and management development programmes to enhance corporate effectiveness.

    Banji also commended the NCC for its role in ensuring effective digital transformation in Nigeria. “As the Commission responsible for creating an enabling environment for telecom operators and allied stakeholders in the industry, as well as ensuring the provision of qualitative and efficient telecommunications services throughout the country, NCC has earned a reputation as a foremost Telecom regulatory agency in Africa,” Banji said.

    In addition, the LBS Executive stated that while his organisation will continue to play a prominent and leading role in building leaders with integrity for Nigeria, Africa, and the world, it also believes that with effective directors and leaders in the public sector organisation such as the NCC, Nigeria will be managed more efficiently for greater value and sustainable growth.

    “Our conviction at LBS is that telecommunications penetration is one of the critical developments required to transform poverty into prosperity. Our thesis is simple:  the access to and use of mobile telephony contributes to the health of the population and efficiency of the economy. It is equally a lever for poverty reduction as contained in Goal One of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Banji declared to emphasize the centrality of telecoms as an enabler of development.

  • NCC upgrades emergency communications centres

    NCC upgrades emergency communications centres

    In continuation with its vision and strategy to ensure promptness, effectiveness and efficiency in the handling of emergency call services through the Emergency Communication Centres (ECC), the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has embarked on the deployment of Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) solution.

    This bolstering of the capacity of emergency response agencies is coming on the heels of the Commission’s recent activation of the Taraba State ECC, thus bringing the total number of operational ECCs across the country to 25.

    The Taraba ECC joins the existing operational ECCs in 23 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). These ECCs are located in the FCT, Adamawa, Imo, Enugu, Ondo, Oyo, Kwara, Plateau, Ogun, Kano, Katsina, Ekiti, Cross River and Edo. Others are Kaduna, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Benue, Kogi, Bauchi, Osun, Zamfara, Kebbi and Gombe States.

    To further modernize the centres, the NCC initiated the deployment of CAD for the response agencies. The Commission has deployed the CAD system to the commands of six response agencies including the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), States Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), as well as in Ambulance and Fire Service operations in seven states.

    The seven states that have benefitted from the deployment of the CAD equipment to transform and upgrade their ECCs into an Internet protocol-based facility are Ogun, Cross River, Enugu, Kwara, Kano, Adamawa and FCT. The Commission plans to upgrade the remaining operational ECCs soon.

    On March 9, 2022, the Commission carried out the successful trial calls to test the effective implementation of the supply, installation and integration of the CAD system for Ambulance Service in Abuja, FCT for the recently-launched National Emergency Medical Services & Ambulance Systems (NEMSAS) of the Federal Ministry of Health.

    In a remark on the CAD deployment, the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, said the Commission will continue to modernize the ECCs from time to time to keep it effective and to respond appropriately to the dynamics of emergency cases, in keeping with its objective of enhancing security of lives and property in the country.

    “Over the years, the Centres have been transforming lives and helping many citizens to survive emergencies and other life-threatening circumstances through instant dispatch of emergency calls received to Emergency Response Agencies (ERA). This intervention has had very positive impact on the lives of Nigerians,” Danbatta said.

    The CAD is an automated dispatch software solution deployed for the seamless transmission of calls from the ECC to the relevant ERAs via the click of a button on the Call Agent’s System.

    The Nigerian Communications Commission established the EEC project in 2005 in deference to Federal Executive Council directive. The Commission has also taken the establishment and effective operations of the Centres across the country as a matter of priority in keeping with Sections 107 (3) A and B, of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCA) 2003.

  • NCC to sustain drive for digital economy transformation – Danbatta

    NCC to sustain drive for digital economy transformation – Danbatta

    The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, has emphasised the commitment of the Commission to continually drive initiatives that accelerate deployment of digital infrastructure, in order to enhance economic transformation of Nigeria.

    Danbatta reiterated the commitment of the Commission while speaking at the NCC Day, at the recently-concluded 43rd Kaduna International Trade Fair, organised by the Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KADCCIMA).

    Speaking on the overarching theme of the event “Strategising Nigerian Economy for Global Competitiveness,” in the context of the regulatory activities of the Commission, the EVC, who was represented by a Senior Manager at the Commission, Attah Ogbadu, said the NCC has been at the heart of providing the digital impetus for transforming the businesses and sustaining socio-economic activities in Nigeria.

    Danbatta stated that due to the COVID-19-induced economic downturn and continued volatility, many countries are exploring policies to stimulate growth and create new jobs. “Information Communications Technology (ICT) is one of the fastest-growing industries because it triggers the creation of millions of jobs and therefore an enabler of innovation and socio-economic development”, Danbatta stated.

    The EVC also asserted that while COVID-19 pandemic came with its attendant challenges, the Commission has continued to work assiduously with various stakeholders to see how more businesses can embrace digital platforms for delivering their services to the consumers.

    He explained that aside accelerating digital infrastructure, NCC is also paying attention to ensuring a level-playing ground for operators to promote investment and ghe delivery of innovative services to individual consumers, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and big business owners by ensuring enhanced consumer quality of experience.

    “So, as a regulator, we also ensure we constantly inform you, the consumers, on how to be protected to prevent cases of online fraud and otherwise ensure you do not fall victims to cybercrimes while using the internet, legitimately”, Danbatta stated to underscore NCC’s commitment to consumer protection.

    Also speaking at the NCC Day forum, The President of KADCCIMA, Suleiman Aliyu, who was represented by an official of the Chamber, Farouk Sulaiman, commended NCC for its regular and impactful attendance and participation at the trade fair. He also placed on record NCC’s commitment to improving network coverage and consumer-centric initiatives, which are increasingly impacting job creation, the emergence of new services and industries, workforce transformation, and business innovation.

    On the theme of the event, Aliyu said the theme was chosen to complement the efforts of the government in promoting economic growth. Aliyu asserted that the critical impact of the communications sector on the nation’s economic output is evident in its contribution to the Fross Domestic Product (GDP).

    According to Aliyu, “the competitiveness of Nigeria would depend on our ability to leverage new technologies in light of the rapid growth of the number of active mobile subscriptions, internet subscribers, and broadband penetration, indices of telecom sector’s mark as one of the fastest-growing sectors in the country.”

    Meanwhile, majority of telecom consumers, who attended the trade fair, also visited the NCC Day event and the NCC corner of the Exhibition Group of the KADCCIMA. There, officials of NCC’s Consumer Affairs Bureau educated the enthusiastic consumers on the various consumer-centric initiatives instituted by the Commission to inform, educate and protect consumers.

    The telecom consumers also seized the opportunity of the platform provided by NCC at the Fair, to make complaints and to resolve their service-related challenges at the NCC Stand of the Exhibition, which also housed representatives of telecoms operators who responded to the concerns of the consumers.

  • 5G will revolutionise Nigeria’s creative industry – Danbatta

    5G will revolutionise Nigeria’s creative industry – Danbatta

    …tasks practitioners on next phase of growth

    …as NCC receives Best Agency Award for development

    The current efforts of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to facilitate deployment of the Fifth Generation (5G) technology will further catalyse the innovativeness and creativity of the entertainment industry in Nigeria and raise its productivity and contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) to new levels. The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, has said.

    Danbatta, stated this in a keynote address delivered at the Nollywood Economic Outlook (NEO 2022) organised in Lagos recently, and well-attended by Nollywood personalities and other critical stakeholders in the creative industry.

    The organisers of the NEO 2022 forum also presented the Award of “Best Agency in Government Sustainable and Development Agenda” to the Commission for its role in facilitating digital connectivity to fast-track Nigeria’s economic growth as well as accelerate attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Nigeria.

    Speaking on the theme: “Leveraging 5G Technology for the Advancement of Creative Industry,” Danbatta, who was represented by the NCC’s Head of Media and Public Relations, Grace Ojougboh, said 5G technology will disrupt the media business models in the creative industry just as he emphasised that need for practitioners in the creative industry to leverage the power of 5G technology to expand the frontiers of the industry for the next phase of its growth.

    “The 5G will revolutionize how content is produced, distributed, and consumed, unlocking existing technologies for wider audiences and enabling a new wave of applications. It will also enable broadcasters to transmit footage back to their base within a short period of time, thus creating more coverage opportunities,” Danbatta said.

    He explained that 5G technology networks will transform businesses leading to higher productivity improvements via real-time flow of information. “Consequently, this will permit the optimization of business functions and creation of new value chains for customers through advances in Internet-based web technology and search engines. This is expected to lead to the development and pervasiveness of Over-the-top (OTT) services,” he said.

    Danbatta further stated that running 5G network, over-the-top (OTT) platforms and applications will also offer video content over the internet as against the traditional cable or satellite television. This, he said, was because technologies enabled by 5G will utilize novel and innovative channels to enhance the experience of viewers.

    “So, for the creative industry, 5G will also enable delivery of high-quality content direct to consumers by the broadcast industry at the touch of a button. Accordingly, it will offer users seamless experience when they stream videos on mobile devices (Smartphones and tablets) and web televisions that use solutions such as Chromecast, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV, as well as Smart TVs,” the EVC said.

    Danbatta told the audience that as demands for high-quality content and streaming increase, 5G connectivity presents the perfect opportunity to push the OTT viewer experience to the next level. He said with super-fast 5G download speeds up to 10 times faster than the current networks and therefore, lower latency that will improve viewers experience of video on demand and make them to enjoy highly reliable services.

    The 5G technology will allow the creative industry to better understand future requirements, explore new creative formats, build new mobile video capabilities, pursue strategic partnerships, and assess their data collection practices and database requirements.

    “Information and Communications Technology has already made the world a global village due to its ubiquitous connection to remote locations across the globe. The 5G technology capabilities will make the world even smaller, thus enabling easy distribution of content across the globe in real time,” he stated.

    Danbatta concluded by stating that 5G technology is set to redefine the way people live and work and will usher the much-talked-about Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) with its promise of a rapid social and economic development of the country.

    Danbatta used the opportunity of the event to intimate the audience of the policy and regulatory efforts of the government, through the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy as well as the NCC, which have culminated in the licensing of spectrum resources for the deployment of 5G network in the country.

    He asserted that disruptive innovations shaping the future of the world, such as; Mobile Broadband, Internet of Things, Cloud Computing, Autonomous and Near-Autonomous Vehicles, Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality, Block-Chain Technology, Robotics and Quantum Computing and more, are pivoted on telecommunications, especially the 5G technology.

    Earlier, the Host of the programme and Executive Secretary, Board of Trustees of Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Sunny McDon , said there had been all sorts of predictions about the introduction of 5G technology and the sheer number of devices that will become connected through its introduction in Nigeria. He therefore advocated a focus on the impact on the creative industry, businesses and Nigeria’s socio-economic development.

    The Lagos State Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs. Uzamat Akinbile-Yussuf, who was represented at the event by Mr. Idowu Johnson, spoke on “Imperatives for Building Lasting Structures for the Sustenance of the Creative Industry.”

  • BREAKING: Mafab Communications pays for 5G licence on deadline day

    BREAKING: Mafab Communications pays for 5G licence on deadline day

    Mafab Communications has finally paid for the 5G licence it won in a bid held by the Nigerian Communications Commission in December 2021.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports a source at Mafab, who asked not to be named, confirmed this on Friday.

    This is coming after the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NCC, Umar Danbatta had expressed anxiety over the delay in payment by Mafab.

    “We saw your report yesterday [Wednesday]. We have paid for the 5G licence. We beat the deadline. We are now looking ahead,” the source told TNG.

    Recall that the Federal Government had in December 2021 announced successful bidders for two 3.5GHz spectra of the 5G network licences for $547.2 million.

    MTN Nigeria and Mafab Communications won the bidding and were given up till Thursday, 24th February 2022 to pay $273,600,000 each.

  • Anxiety as NCC awaits Mafab Communications to pay for 5G licence in 24 hours

    Anxiety as NCC awaits Mafab Communications to pay for 5G licence in 24 hours

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is currently waiting for Mafab Communications to make full payments for the 5G licence won by the little known telecoms firm.

    Recall that the Federal Government had in December 2021 announced successful bidders for two 3.5GHz spectra of the 5G network licences for $547.2 million.

    MTN Nigeria and Mafab Communications won the bidding and were given up till Thursday, 24th February 2022 to pay $273,600,000 each.

    Prof. Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of NCC had confirmed that MTN had paid fully for the licence while Mafab still has the grace to pay up.

    Speaking when he accompanied Prof. Isa Pantami, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, to Lagos for a breakfast session with start-up digital innovation techs stakeholders on Tuesday, Danbatta said:

    “Two telecommunication companies won the bid for the 5G spectrum licences in December and were given two months within which to pay up.

    “So far, MTN has paid $273,600,000 while Mafab Communication has up to the Feb. 24 to pay. There is still time and we are optimistic,”.

    According to the EVC, there is a provision in the Information Memorandum that says “we need to give our preferred bidders up to two years to operate’’.

    However, he did not comment on what would likely happen if Mafab did not meet the payment deadline. Meanwhile, he added that there was also a provision that the waiting period could be reviewed.

    “I’m not saying the review is in the process as we talk. Not yet because we want to ensure that these two assigned licences have started operations and are okay.

    “Of course, we will give them time to see what plans they have because they need to start implementing their plan for expansion of infrastructure that will support these additional services.

    “Everything is on the table, meaning we have so far auctioned two slots. We have three more to go and nothing stops the NCC from assigning the remaining slots,” Danbatta said.

    TNG reports the Federal Government last week officially handed over the spectrum allocation for 5G deployment in the country to the NCC in Abuja.

    Danbatta revealed the NCC may roll out three additional 3.5GHz spectra licences for the Fifth Generation (5G) licences in the next two years, stressing that the rollout of the three licences would depend on the pace at which winners of the first two licences developed their respective spectrum.

    He, however, said that NCC was delaying to roll out the remaining slots “until after the two years specified or the government may say, look, cut down the years from two years to maybe one year’’.

    Danbatta also noted that the government could provide additional incentives to the two licensees.

    “This is so that together, we can be able to agree that there is a need for a reduction in the waiting time for a licence,” he said.

  • How to live and lead in the future – Danbatta

    How to live and lead in the future – Danbatta

    The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta has advised Nigerian youths to embrace and utilise Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Danbatta gave the advice while reckoning that 70 per cent of the new value to be created in the economy over the next decades will be based on digitally-enabled platform business models.

    The NCC boss stated unequivocally that the Commission was focused on implementing all sectoral interventions focused on ICT youth empowerment.

    Danbatta made this declaration while delivering the 10th and 11th combined Convocation Lecture of Fountain University, Osogbo, Osun State.

    He asserted that the resolve of the Commission to pursue very vigorously a bouquet of ICT programmes focused on the youth is based on the projected opportunity for the youth in the emerging ICT-based labour market.

    Danbatta recalled that statistics from Global System for Mobile Communication Association (GSMA) and the World Economic Forum (WEF) have indicated that unique mobile subscriptions are expected to grow up to 5.7 billion by 2025 with concurrent growth in Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) connections, and Internet subscriptions and corresponding growth in operators’ revenue and investment.

    The CEO of NCC also said that fourth generation (4G) connections are expected to grow to 57 per cent; Fifth Generation (5G) is also envisaged to have 1.8 billion connections; usage of smartphones are projected to grow to 81 per cent; Internet of Things (IoT) will grow from 13.1 billion to 24 billion connections; and contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by the mobile industry is expected to grow by, at least, 5.1 per cent by 2025.

    The implications of the foregoing, according to Danbatta, is a huge, incredible opportunity for youth to own businesses.

    “Therefore, while NCC is working collaboratively and strategically with its supervising ministry, Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, it is also working with young Nigerians to prepare them for harnessing these opportunities for personal and national prosperity. It is this huge prospect that informed NCC to institute a number of initiatives and interventions targeting the youth in a unique and unprecedented institutionalisation of strategic collaboration and partnership,” he said.

    The programmes, according to Danbatta, include the ICT Hubs Support and Engagement, which is a forum that brings together key players, actors and the youths in Nigerian tech-ecosystem to deliberate and suggest policy framework and strategies that could further develop the sector to catalyse improved local content in the ICT/telecommunications sector.

    There is also the annual ICT Innovation Competition and Exhibition aimed at facilitating sustainable digital start-ups development through a platform to showcase their digital innovative solutions.

    Also, the Annual Hackathon is designed to challenge start-ups and tech hubs in Nigeria to produce impactful and sustainable innovative solutions that will address common societal challenges using digital technologies.

    Danbatta said the ICT Park Project being built across the six geo-political zones of the country to boost digital skills among young people, promote innovation, provide jobs for young Nigerian and ultimately support the Federal Government Digital Agenda is equally a strategic programme focused on harnessing and optimising the youths’ creative energy for development.

    Other related projects in this regard include the NCC National Essay Competition engaging undergraduates in Nigerian tertiary institution to explore and enhance research in tertiary institutions and build capacity.

    In addition, the school support programmes which include the Digital Awareness Programme (DAP), a special intervention initiated as a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project in response to the digital information knowledge gap observed in the country; as well as the Advanced Digital Appreciation Programme for Tertiary Institutions (ADAPTI), instituted to bridge the knowledge skill gap in higher institutions of learning, largely target the youth and students.

    Accordingly, Danbatta called on the youth to consciously take note of emergent segments in ICT that are available for them to explore. These, according to him, include Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data.

    He also enjoined youths and students to pay attention not only to any of those technology segments but also their overlapping variables such as hyper-connectivity, super-computing, cybersecurity, and smarter world such as robotics, 3D printing, and sensors – which are at the heart of the circular economy.

    In recognition of the innovative minds of Nigeria’s huge youth population, Danbatta said the NCC had put all the ICT youth empowerment initiatives to support a digitally-skilled workforce that will fit into the Digital Economy Project of Nigeria. “The Commission is committed to fostering partnership and collaboration with the technology hubs and startups, to accelerate innovations and the creation of a digitally-skilled workforce for industrial growth and sustainable development of the nation,” the EVC said.

  • BREAKING: Nigeria raises $563 million in 5G spectrum auction

    BREAKING: Nigeria raises $563 million in 5G spectrum auction

    Nigeria has raised a total sum of USD563,100,000 (roughly N231 billion) in the auction of 3.5GHz spectrum band for the deployment of 5G network technology across the country.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the auction of the 3.5GHz spectrum band by the NCC, Nigeria’s telecoms regulators took place in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    Through the auction, the Nigerian government through the NCC offered spectrum for 5G roll out in the country in the 3.5GHz band.

    According to the NCC, the sum raised includes the prices for the right to use licences, and investment commitments tied to the band as well as the premium paid.

    TNG reports Nigeria’s main mobile operator, MTN Nigeria and a little known operator, Mafab Communications Ltd secured the 3.5GHz spectrum band auctioned by the NCC.

    Announcing the outcome of the auction, Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NCC, Prof Umar Danbatta said the auction was won at $273,600,000 per lot.

    TNG reports the two lots auctioned by the NCC brings the total sum for the auction to $547,200,000 at the main stage of the exercise.

    Meanwhile, MTN made the highest bid of the sum of $15,900,000 at the assignment stage of the exercise to be assigned the preferred lot of lot one, while Mafab was assigned lot two at no extra cost.

    The NCC adopted the Ascending Clock Auction format for the main stage of the auction, which ended after round 11 before proceeding to the assignment stage.

    MTN, having made the highest offer at the assignment stage was given the right to select its most preferred Lot and it selected Lot 1 (3500-3600 MHz), while Lot 2 (3700-3800 MHz) is consequentially assigned to Mafab.

    The provisional winners are expected to pay the Winning Bid price, less the Intention-to-Bid Deposit, by February 24, 2022.

    TNG, meanwhile, reports Airtel as the third bidder fell off the exercise at the 11th round of the main stage of the auction.