Telecom sector now the second highest contributor to Nigeria’s GDP after agriculture – Danbatta

Emmanuel Ukudolo l Thursday, December 1, 2022

 

ABUJA, Nigeria – The telecommunications sector is now the second largest contributor to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP after agriculture, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Dr. Umar Garba Danbatta has said.

Danbatta, who was delivering a keynote address on “Influence of Communication Policies on Digital Revolution in Nigeria”  at the 2nd International Conference of the Association of Media and Communications Researchers of Nigeria (AMCRON) said  Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry contributed 18.94% to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as of the second quarter of 2022  based on the latest data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

“From this, the telecommunications sector alone contributed 15% to GDP. The ICT contribution to GDP is, by far, the second largest contributor to the national economy aside from the agricultural sector”, the EVC said.

Danbatta posited,  “from less than $500 million investment in 2001, the investment profile in the nation’s telecommunications sector has also surpassed $70 billion. The telecommunication sector has also created direct and indirect jobs for millions of Nigerians to date”.

The NCC boss who spoke virtually  through  Director, Research and Development, Mr. Ismail Adedigba  during the AMCRON conference said  active telecom subscribers have grown significantly to 212.2 million from about 400,000 aggregate telephone lines in the country as of 2000, on the eve of liberalization of the sector.

“This represents a teledensity of 111%. Basic Internet subscriptions grew from zero ground to 152.7 million currently while broadband subscriptions stand at over 86 million, representing a 45.09% penetration as of July 2022.

“With all these indices of growth in the telecom sector, arising from the effective implementation of various telecommunication policies and strategy documents, the sector has continued to redefine the way we carry out our operational and professional activities with greater efficiency and effectiveness. Access to the Internet, and more importantly, broadband, has become very central to our official and personal lives”, he said.

He expatiated further: “Be it in the media, education, finance, healthcare, transport, governance etc., broadband access has become a necessity. If you think of how the Internet has impacted the process of news gathering, production and dissemination by media professionals and the convergence being experienced across media platforms, then, it won’t be difficult to appreciate the impact of telecom, and by implication, the role of policies, across the spectrum of our daily lives, as individuals and as a nation. The digital revolution now has a profound impression on the way we function as a nation”.

He highlighted five areas that telecommunications policies influenced the digital revolution.

“ Digital revolution provides tools for communication: Without ICT/telecommunications tools, communication would not have all the tools it now has at its disposal to revolutionise news production. Internet, websites, blogs, and social media would not exist without ICT. Communication would be taken back to the use of newspapers, traditional TV and radio, making it almost impossible to keep abreast of developments as they are unfolding.

“Digital Revolution makes communication fast: Today, you can watch any event in any corner of the world as it is happening. Live events and real-time reporting are now possible, thanks to technological advancement in communication. With ICT, communication is fast, precise and well-targeted

“Digital Revolution makes mass communication more affordable: It is no longer a costly affair to pass information. With an internet connection and a computer, anyone can pass information to the world. It costs very little to post news on Facebook, Twitter, and any other social media platforms. Therefore, major media houses around the world are now embracing technological change.

“Digital Revolution diversifies communication: It is no longer the time when, if you wanted news, you had to read a newspaper, watch television or listen to the radio. Today, you can get all information on websites, social media pages, and mobile devices. This diversification has made it possible for communication to be efficient, and effective and reach all four corners of the world.

“ Digital Revolution has enhanced free access to information: Mass communication will never be complete if its product does not reach the intended users. ICT makes sure that communication achieves its intended objective of reaching the masses as the events are breaking”.