The Satellite Towns Development Department (STDD), an agency of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), has solicited the support of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in properly planning and development of satellite towns in the territory.
The agency’s Coordinator, Obinna Ogwuegbu, made the call when he led an 11-man delegation on a courtesy visit to the NCC’s headquarters in Abuja.
Ogwuegbu, explained that the main objective of the visit was to intimate the commission’s management on the efforts being made by the development agency on its mandate and to seek NCC’s support toward ensuring availability of telecoms infrastructure in the satellite towns.
He said: “The STDD is a Government Establishment operating under the Federal Capital Territory Administration, with a mandate to develop the Satellite Towns of the Federal Capital Territory by providing engineering infrastructure such as district infrastructure, rural/link roads, water and electricity supply, environmental sanitation, and town planning to the Satellite Towns”.
Specifically, the STDD’s coordination noted that the NCC, as the telecoms regulator and has the power to facilitate digital connectivity infrastructure, would be requested to support the STDD in the development and rolling out of telecoms/engineering infrastructure across the satellite towns through its licensees and other initiatives.
In his response, NCC’s Director Human Capital and Administration, Usman Malah, who received the STDD’s delegation on behalf of the Commission’s Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Umar Danbatta, said the Commission remained fully committed to ensuring synergy in its working relationship with other agencies of government.
According to him, the Commission recognized the importance of STDD mandate and the role it is expected to play in ensuring access to telecoms services in the cities, un-served and underserved areas, under which the satellite towns may be categorized.
Malah assured the STDD’s delegation that the requests and propositions by the team would be presented to management for consideration and necessary action.
