The Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) has hosted the first ‘Talk-to-the-Regulator’ (TTTR) Forum for the year 2023 in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
The forum was originally scheduled for 2022 but postponed due to a devastating flood disaster, brought together industry stakeholders to discuss pertinent issues and new trends in the telecommunications sector.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, commiserated with the people of Bayelsa State and the entire nation over the historic flood disaster that occurred in the previous year. Expressing hope that such natural calamities would not afflict the nation again, he acknowledged the state’s efforts in preparing for any future occurrences.
Highlighting the significant milestones achieved in the telecom industry, Prof. Danbatta emphasized the rapid growth in technology, which has redefined service delivery and raised expectations among stakeholders while noting that NCC has implemented various measures to enhance regulations, improve service delivery, and accommodate emerging trends.
He highlighted some of the interventions and responses by the NCC which include facilitating the rollout of 5G service provision, introducing the Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) License to bridge connectivity gaps in unserved and underserved areas, and reviewing the scope and structure of existing licenses to make them more robust and adaptable to industry changes.
Aligned with the Nigeria National Broadband Plan (NNBP 2020 – 2025), the NCC aims to achieve 90% broadband penetration by 2025, with a target of surpassing 50% by the end of 2023. Currently, more than 150 million Nigerians have access to the internet, with over 80 million enjoying high-speed connectivity.
The successful TTTR Forum in Yenagoa marks another step in the NCC’s commitment to fostering development, improving investment opportunities, and enhancing service delivery in Nigeria’s telecommunications industry.
Speaking further at the event, Danbatta charged stakeholders ‘Consultative Forum for Selected Licensees in the South-South Zone to concert effort to ensure accessibility of Nigerians in the terrain to 5G about to be launched.
He said, “particularly of note, is that, this event, is coming at the heels of the licensing of the 5G network, and the effort by stakeholders to ensure the availability, accessibility and
affordability of telecommunications services to all Nigerians.
“This event, is the second, in the series of the Nigerian Communications Commission`s
engagement with licensees, in the South-South, having held similar forum, in Port
Harcourt for the licensees in the South-East and the South-South geopolitical zones in
2021, with a brief hiatus in 2022, due to unforeseen circumstances.
“Today`s event, provides a veritable platform for interaction between the regulator and
the licensees, on one hand, and other industry stakeholders, on the other hand. It is a
rare occasion that would enable the Commission to identify the challenges confronting the industry from the pragmatic point of view of the industry players.
“In other words, licensees are expected to engage the regulator, through robust discussions, with a view to identifying the various challenges affecting their operations, while making suggestions, requiring regulatory interventions, within the mandate of the NCC. As it were, this forum,would afford the Licensees, an opportunity to be educated on topical issues of concern, which would help them comply to the licensing terms and conditions, in the various
license categories.”
In his statement, the Director of the Licensing and Authorization Department at the Nigerian Communications Commission, Mohammed Babajika, emphasized the significance of the forum as a platform for the Commission’s top management to directly receive industry feedback, which greatly assists in decision-making processes.
He further highlighted the forum’s role in educating licensees on current regulatory matters and obtaining valuable input to assess the impact of emerging trends in the Nigerian telecom industry.
Babajika also affirmed the Commission’s awareness of the latest technological advancements in the field.
“The Commission recognizes that technological advancements, in the industry such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data, Network as a Service (NaaS) and Internet of Things (IoT) are redefining service-delivery and therefore in line with global trends, it is currently reviewing its license categories. The Commission has also finalized the framework for Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) and is currently in the process of licensing MVNOs. The licensing of MVNO will improve the telecommunication output of the country, enable the expansion and availability of quality mobile coverage and close the gap to the unserved and underserved population in Nigeria,” he said.