The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that the ongoing process to auction two additional lots in the 3.5GHz spectrum for Fifth Generation (5G) is part of efforts that will further liberalize access to high-speed mobile broadband for all Nigerians.
The Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, made this remark at the weekend while speaking at the 10th Annual Brands and Marketing Conference of the Brand Journalists Association of Nigeria (BJAN) in Lagos, where the NCC was conferred with the “Regulator of the Decade” Award.
Represented at the forum by the Commission’s Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Adeleke Adewolu, the EVC noted that the ongoing process, for which arrangements are in top gear, followed the successful auctioning of two bands of the 3.5GHz spectrum in December of 2021.
The EVC hinted that the commission was currently reviewing the licences and frameworks for fixed broadband to update them in line with current challenges and make them more effective as part of the pivotal initiatives deployed by NCC that are already bearing fruits.
Danbatta pointed out that the Commission, in pursuit of its mandate, had been working hard in creating the conducive atmosphere for the rollout and adoption of new technologies, and government has taken the firm position that the country must leverage digital technologies to grow the economy.
He further explained that this led to the formulation of policies such as the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020-2030 and the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025, which the NCC and other agencies and partners are assiduously implementing.
Danbatta told the participants at the forum that content creation and consumption had increased based on the telecommunications infrastructure provided by technology, which Nigerian entertainers have leveraged to become global brands.
The EVC said: “Due to heavy leverage on digital platforms, the Nigerian entertainment industry has gone global. Nollywood is one of the biggest movie industries in the world. In fact, more movies are produced by Nollywood yearly in comparison to Hollywood.
“Nigerian music stars are in hot demand worldwide because of their popularity and brand recognition on social media. We should add that many of these global superstars emerging from Nigeria launched into stardom by leveraging Caller Tunes and other mobile content platforms to grow their brands and huge followers online,” he added.
The industry regulator stressed that “digital platforms are fostering different types of systemic change, creating new brands, eroding the value of some brands, whilst at the same time increasing the value of other brands. The innovation-transformation-disruption cycle have come to stay and will be exacerbated as technology continues to evolve.
“Let me assure you that the NCC will continue to aggressively drive the roll out and seamless operation of infrastructure to drive new digital technologies for the benefit of all sectors of our economy. It is our hope that Nigerian brands will continue to leverage on robust infrastructure to grow their value and ensure that our country derives maximum benefit from unfolding digital transformation efforts”, the EVC added.
Photo Caption
L-R: Managing Director/Chief Operating Officer, ThisDay Newspapers, Eniola Bello; President, African Public Relations Association, Yomi Badejo-Okusanya; Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Adeleke Adewolu and Chairman, STB-McCann, Steve Omojafor, during the annual conference of the Brand Journalists Association of Nigeria (BJAN) where the NCC received “The Regulator of the Decade Award” in Lagos at the weekend.
