NCC, NESG to collaborate on enhancing telecoms contribution to Nigerian economy

*The Nigerian Communications Commission says the NCA 2003 is a robust regulatory instrument that has accorded it the mandate to regulate the telecoms sector effectively, as reflected in the contribution to the socio-economic development of the country

*The NCC is key to the digital transformation agenda of the government ─Nigeria Economic Summit Group

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

In regard to the telecoms regulator’s strategic partnership objectives, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG) are considering possible areas of enhancing the impact and contribution of the telecommunications sector to Nigeria’s socio-economic development.

ConsumerConnect learnt the collaborative effort was the highpoint of deliberations during a recent courtesy visit to the NCC by a delegation of the National Assembly Business Environment Round Table (NASSBER), in Abuja, FCT.

Nnanna Ude, who leads policy unit of NESG, and Ms. Yemi Keri, a member of the Technical Committee of NASSBER, were on the delegation  that visited the Commission.

Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Director of Public Affairs at NCC, in a statement issued in Abuja, Tuesday, August 10, 2021, said that the meeting identified the need for stakeholder collaboration and engagement between the Commission and other stakeholders to conduct an impact assessment and gap analysis of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003.

The statement noted this, as the primary focus of the visiting team, is with a view to improving the legal instrument and reflecting new trends, especially in a post-pandemic world.

Dr. Adinde stated that the two entities also considered cooperation in the area of Research and Development (R&D).

The NESG expressed its desire to have the country’s telecoms regulator feature prominently in the forthcoming Nigeria Economic Summit (NES), an annual summit organised by the NESG, scheduled to hold October 2021, he said.

Earlier, while receiving the delegation on behalf Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice-Chairman (EVC) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NCC, Dr. Adinde, who is Director of Public Affairs of the Commission, said that the meeting was a welcome development.

According to him, the purpose of the visit aligns with the telecoms regulator’s strategic partnership and collaboration objectives in the country.

The NCC Director of Public Affairs also stressed the NCA 2003 is a robust regulatory instrument that has accorded the Commission the mandate to regulate the telecoms sector effectively, as reflected in the contribution to the overall economic development of Nigeria.

According to him, by virtue of Section 70 of the NCA 2003, the Commission has developed various regulations and issued guidelines that have helped in addressing critical issues pertaining to its regulatory activities.

Other senior management staff of the Commission, including Mr. Muhammed Babajika, Director, Licensing & Authorisation; Engr. Bako Wakil, Director of Technical Standards & Network Integrity; and representatives of the departments of Legal & Regulatory Services; Policy Competition & Economic Analysis; and Financial Services of the Commission, also spoke on the activities of the Commission in implementing its regulatory mandate for the benefits of the Nigerian consumers.

Mr. Babajika spoke on the licensing regime of the Commission and its impact on innovation in the economy, while Engr. Wakil spoke about NCC’s regulatory efforts and collaborations with various stakeholders, such as the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) towards addressing challenges to Quality of Service (QoS) in the Nigerian telecoms industry.

The officials as well examined the impact of these challenges, such as multiple taxation and regulations, fibre cuts, vandalism, high cost of Right of Way (RoW), theft of telecoms facilities, and the need for the passage of the Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) Bill into law.

In his earlier remarks on behalf of Laoye Jaiyeola, CEO of NESG, Ude had acknowledged the critical role the NCC is playing in the provision of essential digital support for the West African country’s economy.

The NESG stated that in 20 years of telecoms liberalisation in Nigeria, the NCC has been contributing significantly to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Ude explained that the visit to the telecoms regulator was part of NESG’s efforts at strengthening collaboration with key institutions of the government, including the NCC.

The NESG official commended the role of the Commission in driving telecommunications sector growth through efficient and result-oriented regulations.

The impact of the regulations is evident in industry performance indicators, which have shown upward trajectory over the recent years, stated he.

He added: “The NCC is key to the digital transformation agenda of the government and we can see the footprints of the readiness of the country on that journey, in terms of the level of broadband penetration, Internet subscription, teledensity, and other critical indicators.”

Adinde, who stated the Commission was excited by the prospects of partnering with NESG and NASSBER, also noted that such partnership will further enhance telecoms contribution to Nigeria’s socio-economic growth.

“All the issues discussed will be articulated in a memorandum, which will be submitted to Management for consideration,” added the Director of Public Affairs.

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