Being
speech by the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of Nigerian Communications
Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta at Stakeholders Forum for ITU
Telecom World 2016, Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Ikeja, Lagos, September 5, 2016.
Honorable
Minister of Communications, Heads of Departments and Agencies here present,
Telecommunications operators, industry players, Gentlemen of the press, Ladies
and Gentlemen
Let
me thank you for coming.
We
are gathered here for a simple reason today:To chart a new path, interact and
collaborate with a view to creating a template that will form our narrative at
the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Telecom World 2016.
Although
the ICT sector has recorded very significant growth in the last 15 years when
we moved from a little below 500,000 active lines to the current 157million and
surpassed the 100 percent threshold for teledensity, it stands at 107%,
internet connectivity climbed up from 50,000 in 2001 to its current 97million,
we have over $35b from Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) and local investments
are also in billions of dollars. Ourstory of successes is very long but we as regulators
are not resting on our oars believing that we are already there.
No,
we are not there yet. What we have is work in progress.
Why are we here?
We are here to
restrategise on how we can attract more meaningful investments into our
country. We are here to fine-tune our story about the growth and attraction of
our sector. We are here to think of ways to convince would-be investors on the
potentials and capacity of our country.
We are here to agree on
the future growth of the telecom industry.
Why now?
Several investors have
been here and many more are on their way. We will tell them that Nigeria is
safe for investors and Return on Investments (ROI) is assured.
We will tell them that our
regulatory processes are open, effective and transparent.
We will tell them about
the growing demand for fast, stable and reliable internet connectivity, we will
tell them how the country has been receptive to investors through policies that
include tax incentives and holidays, and that investors have been so encouraged
that those who invested heavily in our Digital Mobile Licences (DMLs) since
2001 have never known a better yesterday.
We will also tell thewould-be
investors that the regulator has ensured it conducts its business according to
international best practices and standards through regular interactive sessions
at consultative fora with stakeholders before arriving at directions and
regulations that guide the smooth operations in the sector.
Broadband Revolution
We will tell them about
the revolution that is brewing in broadband, since 2013 when the National
Broadband Plan (NBP) was inaugurated by government, there have been spirited
efforts by the Commission to raise the level of broadband penetration.
As we speak, we have 14%
penetration and over 100 percentthirst for internet. We are convinced that by
2018, the anticipated 30% penetration is not impossible to achieve.
Bitflux Consortium has
rolled out on its 2.3GHz services. Two Infrastructure Companies (Infracos) have
been licenced for Lagos and North Central including Abuja. Five more licences
are underway for North West, North East, South West, South South and South
East. Our processes are being fine-tuned to actualize the licensing rounds. You
are invited to join the revolution.
There is a gap, no doubt
which these would-be and existing investors will bridge.
The Quality of service is
not robust yet, but we are assured that we will get it right with more
investments.
ITU
This is the story we are
taking to ITU Telecom World 2016 in Bangkok, Thailand from November 14-17, with
the theme “Collaborating in the Digital Economy.”
Entrepreneurs will share
their experiences, operators will tell their stories and interact with policy
makers and government officials in a frank manner that no one attends ITU
Telecom World and remain the same.
Honorable Minister,
distinguished ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for your attention.
Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta,
FNSE
EVC, NCC
Tags
Business