NCC finalizing counterpart funding agreement for 6 INFRACOS to galvanize full rollout – Danbatta

ABUJA, Nigeria – The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC is in the process of finalizing Counterpart Funding Agreement for the six licensed Infrastructure Companies, INFRACOs  to galvanise full rollout of broadband infrastructure on an Open Access Model(OAM) to enhance digital transformation of the country.

Execute Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Professor Umar Garba Danbatta made the revelation in his keynote address at the 5^th edition of the Nigerian Innovation Week

He said the rollout of the INFRACOs will enthrone Point of Access in each of the 774 local governments in the country and that there are six (6) licensed INFRACOs, one in each geo-political zone of the country, with Lagos State receiving special status because of its commercial centrality to the country and that the seventh license for the North-Central region is being processed, stressing that  the Commission’s initiative to license INFRACOs to bridge existing gaps will further improve not only broadband penetration but the quality of broadband experience.

“The result of this initiative is that apart from meeting and surpassing the 30 percent broadband penetration in December, 2018, in line with the NBP 2013-2018 target, NCC increased broadband penetration from less than 6 percent in 2015 to 43.30 percent by August 2020”, Danbatta explained.

The EVC who spoke through Director, Public Affairs, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde said the development translates to 82, 653,247 broadband subscriptions in the country as of August, 2020 and that the measures have been very instrumental to the emergence and survival of SMEs that ride on the backbone of telecoms infrastructure during this pandemic.

Danbatta explained that for innovation to thrive as the anchor for accelerating economic growth post COVID-19, a robust broadband infrastructure upon which ICT innovations will ride,  remains an urgent necessity. He said the disruption of global economy by the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many to work from home.

“Government services have moved to online portals; our kids now attend virtual classes; lectures and conferences are now virtual; e-commerce has seen a significant uptick and boom globally; online payment for goods and services have now increased threefold; logistics and delivery businesses have seen huge surge in demand for their services”, he said, adding that  such  services require fast broadband and reliable means of connectivity and that the NCC has continued to work assiduously with stakeholders in ensuring that the nation’s ICT infrastructure is able to meet the increased demand for connectivity.

He explained that the Commission places emphasis on growing the digital economy in collaboration with sister agencies under the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy. But that to entrench digital economy thinking in its operational activity, the Commission created the Digital Economy Department principally for implementing programmes and policies aimed at fully supporting and promoting the national digital economy agenda of the Federal Government.

According to him, ICT has become the major backbone for government activities and local businesses with the advent of the COVID-19.

“ The re-direction of human traffic to online portals for major transactions as a result of social distancing also meant that cybercriminals have a larger audience and a much bigger playground to execute their nefarious activities”, hence the NCC, CBN, major financial institutions and security agencies  have diligently ensured that Nigeria’s cyberspace is secured.

NCC, he said has been the major linkage in the drive for optimum economic development, as it remains the pioneer for all the major disruptions that would drive the nation’s economic reboot, especially the financial systems riding on electronic innovations.

“ These innovations are driven by the availability of a robust communications infrastructure made possible by the Commission’s continuous quest for investment in the sector.

“Collaborative partnership between the NCC and the CBN has been very effective, leading to the development of various brands of electronic transaction models, which have totally reformed banking in Nigeria,  making it possible for instant cash transfers to folks in rural areas cutting out waiting times at banking halls and simplifying online transactions”.

Danbatta said the most important lesson from the COVID-19  pandemic  remains the need to continue to invest in infrastructure development in critical sectors of the economy, particularly the ICT sector, which has become the bastion of modern economies.

“We hope to reap the rewards of the Strategic Vision Plan (SVP) in the coming years and provide Nigerians the comfort of new innovations and new ways of living. This would imply that broadband penetration would be improved significantly through deliberate facilitation of investment in fibre infrastructure, QoS will be assured, available spectrum would be optimized with full benefits, there would be more investment opportunities in the industry, there will be access to strategic collaboration and partnerships, consumers would be fully protected and empowered, there will be fair competition and inclusive growth”, the EVC assured.