According to the Nigerian Communications Commission, the telecommunications sector is still the driving force behind the Federal Government’s digital economy, Entrepreneur report.
Prof. Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, announced this on Saturday at the NCC Day at the 44th Kaduna International Trade Fair in Kaduna.
Danbatta stated that the fifth-generation network, which was introduced in Lagos, would boost communication services throughout the country.
He also stated that the country’s active mobile telephone subscriber base has increased to 222.571 million and that teledensity has increased by 116.60% as of December 2022.
Danbatta also stated that internet customers numbered 154.8 million and that the nation’s social media arena has thrived with a broadband connection rate of 47.36 percent.
While underlining that the telecommunications industry is a strategic engine of the federal government’s digital economy, Danbatta revealed that the Commission had begun the implementation of a Fifth Generation (5G) network in Nigeria.
According to him, one of the businesses granted licenses has begun commercial operations in Lagos, with the 5G network gradually expanding to other regions of the country to improve communication services in Nigeria.
This came as he stated that the commission was working hard to ensure that more firms adopted digital platforms for delivering services to their diverse clients.
“The commission recognizes the fact that the telecommunications sector has been a strategic driver of the Federal Government’s digital economy agenda, as it continues to provide the needed digital stamina to support the economy, particularly the activities of the SMEs across Nigeria and beyond,” said Banji Ojo, Head, Consumer Protection and Advocacy.
Not only is information and communications technology one of the fastest expanding businesses, directly producing millions of jobs, but it is also a vital enabler of innovation and development, serving as the backbone infrastructure for international business.
“As a result, by the Digital Literacy and Skills Pillar of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy 2020-2030 for a Digital Nigeria,” the commission began digital literacy training for entrepreneurs across the country’s six geopolitical zones.
The goal was to provide small-scale business owners with the necessary skills to generate ideas for the creation of exportable products and services.
The NCC’s regulatory initiatives to expand access to digital services will help Nigeria and make it competitive with other economies in terms of job creation, GDP growth, the emergence of new services and industries, workforce transformation, and business innovation.
“It is in our response to ensuring that Nigeria is competitive in all these areas that Commission continuously puts several regulatory measures in place to ensure seamless access by Nigerians to telecommunications services to deepen competitiveness of the Nigerian economy by making our SMEs digitally compliant.
In Nigeria now, the number of active mobile subscriptions reached around 222.571 million in December 2022, with a Teledensity of 116.60% in December 2022. Furthermore, the number of Internet customers has surpassed 154.8 million, with broadband penetration reaching 47.36 percent as of December 2022.
In this new context, the competitiveness of Nigeria’s SMEs, for example, is determined by their capacity to exploit new technologies by obtaining the digital skills required to conduct international commerce.”
“As you may be aware, the NCC is leading activities towards the full commercial launch of Nigeria’s fifth-generation network,” Danbatta stated. Spectrum licenses have already been awarded to the companies that will provide the service.
Though the deployment will begin in the state capital and gradually spread to other areas throughout the state, it is important to note that the 5G network will bring significant network improvements, such as higher connection speed, mobility, and capacity, as well as low-latency capabilities, to Nigerian communications services.
I am delighted to inform you that one of the licensees has begun commercial operations in Lagos.
“More importantly, it is also our goal at NCC to continue to create a level playing field for operators to thrive, promote investment, and delivery of innovative services to individual consumers, SMEs, and big corporate owners by assuring increased consumer quality of experience.”
Source: PUNCH
