NCC: Digital connectivity is essential for meeting the SDGs.

Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports

According to Prof. Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), quality of life is now measured in terms of digital connectivity, which promotes business, social, and economic well-being of citizens.

Danbatta, who delivered the keynote address at the 2022 Africa Tech Alliance Forum in Lagos, stated that digital connectivity is critical to advancing development gains and sustaining the future, as well as meeting the required quota in achieving a sustainable future and realizing the objectives of the SDGs (SDGs).

Dr. Augustine Nwulunne, the telecom sector’s chief regulator, spoke on the theme “Creating a Sustainable Future through Connectivity.”

He cited studies to support the importance of digital connectivity to quality of life and stated that the NCC is committed to implementing regulatory initiatives aimed at deepening connectivity for the overall economic development of Nigeria.

“Connectivity and development in Nigeria have not happened by chance; rather, they are the result of measured, painstaking, and strategic policy implementation in the telecommunications sector by the NCC and relevant stakeholders, and we are committed to driving a robust and vibrant telecoms sector to enhance further growth of the Nigerian economy in all its spheres,” the EVC said.

According to him, the telecommunications sector has become an enabler of economic growth, bringing greater efficiency in service delivery in education, healthcare, transportation, commerce, financial services, and other sectors of the economy, with a greater impact on the nation’s GDP and enhancing other sectoral growth correlating to each of the 17 SDGs.

The awarding of the “5G Core Leadership Award” to Danbatta was the event’s highlight, while the Commission was named the corporate organization with the “Best Digital Economy Project of the Year 2022” for the Commission’s regulatory efforts in driving commercial deployment of Nigeria’s Fifth Generation (5G) network.

According to Danbatta, by implementing appropriate regulatory tools and providing relevant regulatory services to mobile network operators (MNOs), the country’s primary providers of telecommunication services, the NCC has created an enabling environment for a fair and liberalized telecommunications industry.

“The commission has created a conducive environment for the development of critical infrastructure for the provision of universal and affordable connectivity.”

As a result, we now have over 210 million active telephone lines (110 percent teledensity), over 150 million Internet subscribers, and 45 percent broadband penetration (enabling over 80 million broadband subscriptions).

“Telecommunications has been credited with lifting millions of Nigerians out of poverty, diversifying the economy, and contributing more than $70 billion to Nigeria’s GDP; it has also provided a variety of job opportunities to thousands of Nigerians.” Looking at historical GDP data for Nigeria reveals that the country’s GDP has been increasing since the telecommunications sector was liberalized. Nigeria’s GDP in 2001 was $74.03 billion, $176.13 billion in 2005, and $440.78 billion today, he said, with telecom being a key driver of this growth.

The EVC also informed the audience that the Commission is driving the implementation of various policies and frameworks, including the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025, the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020-2030, and the ongoing deployment of the Fifth Generation (5G) network, among other digital interventionist projects aimed at driving universal service availability, accessibility, and availability.