Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, has expressed readiness to collaborate with a UK Government inspired prosperity fund project for Nigeria: the UK Government Prosperity Fund-Nigeria Project.
Danbatta made this assertion in his remarks at during the virtual forum on Right of Way Reforms and Planning Permits for Masts and Towers in Nigeria organised by the British Government’s Prosperity Fund’s Digital Access Programme in collaboration with Nigerian Communications Commission and the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy on Thursday, August 13, 2020
The Executive Vice Chiarman who was represented by NCC’s Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Adeleke Adewolu said “The NCC on its part is ready to collaborate with the UK Government Prosperity Fund-Nigeria Project, especially on the subject matter of today, i.e. reforming the administration of RoW and planning permits in Nigeria.
“We note, the short, medium, and long-tern actions set up in the report and we will work assiduously to their achievement. We also, encourage our service providers to appreciate some of the challenges faced by the state government and hope this will enable them to collaborate with the state government to effectively overcome the challenges.
Danbatta said “In maximizing the benefits of digital transformation, resilient Telecoms Infrastructure is the key enabler in delivering ICT services. Therefore, this technical conference is apt, as it provides effective solutions to Right of Way (RoW) challenges amongst others.”
He noted thatthe input of the conference would assist the Government in further reducing the encumbrances bedeviling ICT infrastructure, especially in the provision/ building of resilient fixed Infrastructure in the federation.
Equally, he said, the event will further assist in our quest to deepen broadband deployment and penetration in Nigeria.
According to Danbatta, “ubiquitous broadband will propel social and economic development and growth of citizens, as in; local content development & innovations, the proliferation of ICT industries, building digital skills, etc.”
Key stakeholders, who participated at the virtual conference include the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isah Ali Ibrahim (Pantami); the UK Government’s Digital Access Programme Adviser and Country Lead, Idongesit Udo; Governors of Ekiti, Katsina, Sokoto, Imo, Plateau and Kwara. They also include representatives of state governments; members of the Presidential Committee on Broadband Plan monitoring and implementation; industry and private sector leaders in tech and telecommunications sector, civil society groups and the media.
