How Nigeria approves national policy on 5G networks for digital economy ─Minister

*As leading international organisations confirmed the deployment of 5G networks has no adverse health effect on consumers and are safe, the implementation of Nigeria’s  National Policy takes immediate effect with deployment in major cities, while the entire nationwide coverage in phases will be completed by 2025 ─Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, Minister for Communications and Digital Economy

Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect

Following years of preparations, Nigeria is set to deploy the fifth generation technology as the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the National Policy on 5G Networks for the West African country’s Digital Economy.

ConsumerConnect reports the FEC okayed the Nigerian 5G National Policy Wednesday, September 8, 2021, in Abuja, FCT, sequel to the presentation by Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, Honourable Minister for Communications and Digital Economy.

Femi Adeluyi, Technical Assistant on Information Technology to the Minister for Communications and Digital Economy, who noted this development in a statement Wednesday, noted that with the approval of the policy, the Minister indicated that the implementation of the 5G National Policy takes immediate effect with deployment in major cities in the country.

The statement said that the National Frequency Management Council (NFMC) is expected to release spectrum to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) before long in order for the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) that meet all the required conditions for 5G deployment.

Adeluyi also stated that the National Policy has been developed over a period of 2 years, due to the need for extensive stakeholder engagement and the need to ensure adequate public awareness and sensitisation.

According to Prof. Pantami, the stakeholder engagement ahead of the approval by the Council was thorough and multi-sectoral in nature.

It also took into account the report of the 3-month 5G trials that commenced November 25, 2019, said the Minister.

He further disclosed that the report critically reviewed and studied the health, security implications of deploying 5G networks in Nigeria.

President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, in a virtual FEC Meeting   File Photo

Leading international organisations, such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), an organ of the United Nations (UN), have confirmed that the deployment of 5G networks leaves no adverse health effect and are safe.

It is also noted that the radiation of 5G technology is lower than that of 4G, and the entire national coverage in phases will be completed by 2025.

5G networks, the Minister stated, offer significant advantages over the current technologies.

Pantami said that some of its advantages include much lower latency, higher bandwidth, greater device density, longer battery life for nodes and greater network flexibility.

The statement also explained that several countries have already commenced the deployment of 5G, and are enjoying its benefits.

Some of these countries include the United States, United Kingdom, Republic of Korea, South Africa and Lesotho, to mention but a few, said the Minister.

Pantami added that the Nigerian Communications Commission, as the regulator of the telecommunications sector in the country, will continue engaging stakeholders with a view to developing the regulatory instruments required for the successful deployment of the technology in the country.

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