*Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, Minister for Communications and Digital Economy, and the Nigerian Communications Commission have assured stakeholders of activating policy initiatives that promote investment in telecoms infrastructure to deepen connectivity and enhance national development

Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect

Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, Honourable Minister for Communications and Digital Economy, and Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have promised to continue to drive policy initiatives that promote investment in infrastructure in the Nigerian telecoms industry in order to deepen connectivity to enhance the country’s growth and development.

Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Director of Public Affairs at NCC, in a statement issued Saturday, April 23, 2022, disclosed the duo stated this on the sideline of the reception marking the landing of the Google’s Equiano undersea Cable Systems in Nigeria at the Open Access Data Centre at Lekki, in Lagos.

Pantami and Danbatta commended Google LLC, the West Indian Ocean Cable Company (WIOCC), and other investors for bringing additional bandwidth capacity into the country to drive connectivity and growth.

The telecoms sector regulatory Commission noted Pantami, represented at the event by Adeleke Adewolu, NCC’s Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management while Ubale Maska, Executive Commissioner, Technical Services at NCC, represented Prof. Danbatta.

Other Senior Management Staff of the Commission at the event included the NCC’s Director, Technical Standards and Network Integrity, Bako Wakil, and the Controller, NCC’s Ibadan Zonal Office, Yomi Arowosafe.

The Minister, Dr. Adinde also stated, said the Federal Government, through the Ministry, would continue to drive the implementation of existing digital economy-oriented policies already put in place by the current administration.

Pantami also promised an enabling environment that encourages foreign and local investment in infrastructure project such as the way Google and its co-investors have done, said the Commission.

Danbatta in his remark at the event said the Commission’s expectations, initiatives, and vision towards increasing Broadband penetration, quality of service, advancement of a digital economy, and commitment to improving national security through technological advancement, are on the priority list of its regulatory interventions.

The NCC EVC/CEO as well expressed delight that Equiano has joined the list of other submarine cables at the shores of Nigeria, including SAT3 cable, MainOne Cable, Glo1 Cable, ACE Cable WACS Cable, Dolphin by Natcom, and MTN respectively.

He further assured stakeholders of the Commission’s commitment to ensuring that the huge bandwidth capacity from these cables at shore in Lagos would be transmitted to different part of the country to drive robust and ubiquitous infrastructure.

This is in keeping with the provisions of the digital economy policy being implemented by government in collaboration with all stakeholders.

He also expressed optimism that Google’s investment in the Equiano subsea cable would  be significant in driving NCC’s ongoing implementation of the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025, which aims at increasing Broadband penetration to 70 percent by 2025.

Danbatta stated: “We are hopeful that Equiano, together with earlier undersea cables in the country, will have additional landing points in the hinterlands through collaborative efforts with NCC-licensed Infrastructure Companies (InfraCos).

“This will help to reduce retail data prices significantly and thereby complementing the Commission’s efforts at ensuring that affordable Internet services are available to boost Commission’s ongoing broadband policy initiatives.”

Danbatta stated and thereby helped to reiterate the objective linkages of policies and plans in the telecom ecosystem, and the national economic strategies.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who also witnessed the unveiling of the Google submarine cable, underscored its centrality to Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to boost job creation and contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), over the next three years.

Chris Wood, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of WIOCC, also described the landing of the submarine cables as a major investment in the Nigerian Digital Economy.

The new cable system is named after a Nigerian hero, Olaudah Equiano, who survived enslavement in the 18th century and went on to become a famous writer and anti-slavery activist.

Besides, the triumph over challenges, which Equiano’s life symbolised, the landing of the cable in Nigeria is expected to underscore Nigeria’s leadership as a regional hub for connectivity, and thus, set to attract cloud operators, content providers, content distribution networks and their associated ecosystems.