The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said all the policy and regulatory frameworks such as Nigeria National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025; and the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020-2030 would provide a platform for Nigerian citizens to engage in innovative developments for the telecoms industry and improve the nation’s ability to compete in the ever-competitive global space.

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, made this known while speaking at the second edition of the Nigerian Telecoms Leadership Summit organised by the NCC.

The event was held recently at the Eko Hotels, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Speaking at the event, Danbatta, said that the theme of the Summit, ‘The Future of Telecom Regulation in Nigeria’, presented a unique opportunity for the commission to interact with critical stakeholders.

Danbatta said the commission, through such interaction, would be able to brainstorm and migrate to new frontiers of visionary regulations that will galvanise and foster desired growth in the industry.

He noted that the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic triggered political and socio-economic uncertainties globally and underscored the crucial role of digital connectivity in keeping societies functioning, as online life became, essentially, new way of life.

He stated that with the increased dependence on digital platforms, the theme of the event had become necessary in order to put in place a broader regulatory framework that will enhance and protect the integrity of the industry in the emergent digital economy.

Speaking on the transformation happening as a result of the expanding spectrum of digital ecosystem, Danbatta said the industry was witnessing new business delivery and breakthroughs due to the expansion of boundaries of digital Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), especially fintech and e-commerce firms.

He stated that the consequential ecosystem has contributed to the growth of the Nigerian digital economy riding on telecom infrastructure.

He added that digital services and content provided by these SMEs will leverage broadband infrastructure and the upcoming deployment of the Fifth Generation (5G) network being driven by the commission to deliver more innovative and high-quality experiences to consumers.

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Danbatta said: “The commission’s successful auction and licensing of the 3.5GHz spectrum licences in the last quarter of 2021 for the deployment of 5G technology is set to create many opportunities for the development of the industry and as a regulator, we are conversant with the fact that a dynamic regulatory environment is needed to sustain this industry growth.

“Therefore, it has become imperative for us, as critical stakeholders, to appraise the progress made so far as an industry and chart the course for the future of the telecoms industry in the country,” he stated.

The NCC boss noted that one of the sectors that had been positively impacted by the digital transformation was the financial services sector.

Also speaking at the event, the Chief Executive Officer of Stanbic IBTC, Dr. Ademola Sogunle, said the telecommunications industry had become the sustaining stimulus of the post-pandemic era as consumers’ behaviours continue to shift towards digital trends.

The Director, Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis of NCC, Yetunde Akinloye, who reviewed the resolutions of the first edition of the Summit held in 2019, said the commission had implemented the recommendations of the meeting among which were Executive Order on Duplicity of Taxes and Levies, and Harmonization of Right of Way (RoW) fees.

She said other recommendations implemented include addressing interconnect debt, review of the framework on interconnect clearinghouses to ensure 10 per cent of traffic is routed through clearinghouses, incentive for small operators as well as monitoring compliance with the Code of Corporate Governance.

The Star