NCC mulls ethical, sustainable energy sourcing in telecoms industry

*Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice-Chairman and CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission, discloses the Commission is considering a framework for telecoms service providers to adopt clean and sustainable energy sources to reduce carbon footprints and contribute to a greener future in the ecosystem

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said the Commission is working towards formulating a policy framework for telecoms companies to adopt clean and sustainable energy sources in the country’s digital ecosystem.

ConsumerConnect learnt Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), noted this in his address at a roundtable with the academia, industry chiefs and other stakeholders Wednesday, August 16, 2023, in Kano State, Northern Nigeria.

Essentials of ethical energy sourcing in telecoms sector

Danbatta, at the forum with the theme, “Refocusing Academic Research Towards Alternative Clean Energy: Panacea to Paucity of Energy in the Telecommunications Industry”, stated that introducing a framework to encourage ethical energy sourcing in the telecoms sector of the economy would help to reduce Telcos’ carbon footprints and contribute to a greener future.

He also said the framework would serve as a guide for telecoms service providers to tap into clean and sustainable energy sources with a view to minimising reducing their carbon footprints and advance greener future in the Nigerian economy.

According to the NCC Chief, the proposed policy framework would not only benefit the environment but drive innovation and create new business opportunities in the telecoms industry.

Strategies for alternative, clean and sustainable energy, by Danbatta

The Executive Vice-Chairman of the Commission, however, noted that achieving the desired objective in this regard would require collaborations with the academia and other stakeholders, who are encouraged to contribute through research findings.

Danbatta said that the telecoms regulatory Commission would need the expertise, knowledge and insight of the academia and other stakeholders to guide it in developing “feasible alternative sources of clean energy” that the telecoms industry could leverage for a sustainable energy supply, agency report said.

The EVC/CEO stated in his speech: “We aim to refocus future academic research towards feasible alternative sources of clean energy that can be harnessed by the telecoms industry.

“It is essential to identify and explore new technologies, such as solar, wind and biomass that can power our communications infrastructure efficiently and sustainably.”

Danbatta: “We need your research to help us understand the potentials of these alternative energy sources, address their challenges and develop strategies for their implementation in the telecoms sector.”

The Commission further expressed confidence that the discussions and ideas shared at the forum would serve as a catalyst for transformative research and innovation in the country’s telecoms sector.

The sector, he disclosed, is in the forefront of digital transformation, noting the potential to enhance the livelihood of consumers must be harnessed by promoting research in the academia.