Broadband penetration in Nigeria registered a quantum lip in the past seven months from November 2021 with a record seven million new subscriptions, indicating a steady increase in the country’s quest to reach 70% national coverage. by 2025.
Teacher. Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice President of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which presented the figures in Lagos yesterday at the launch of a book on the impact of broadband on the economy, said the steady growth in broadband penetration is having a positive impact on d other sectors of the economy such as health, education, agriculture, finance, transport, trade, governance and other sectors.
According to a press release signed by Mr. Reuben Muoka, Director of Public Affairs at NCC, Danbatta said the industry had impressive statistics as he presented the keynote speech of the 11th eWorld Forum which featured the launch of a book: “Nigeria Drivers of Digital Prosperity: Trajectories of Digital Evolution, Sector Analysis and Stakeholder Contributions”, authored by the forum organizer, Mr. Aaron Ukodie, a veteran ICT journalist and publisher of eWorld News Online.
“Internet subscribers increased from 90 million in 2015 to 150.36 million in May 2022. Additionally, during the reporting period, broadband penetration increased from 8% to 43.67%, indicating that more than 83.3 million subscribers are on 3G broadband networks. and 4G. Indeed, between November 2021 and May 2022, the networks added 7 million new users,” Danbatta said.
At the event, chaired by Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, former EVC of the NCC and current Chairman of MTN Nigeria, Danbatta, who was represented by Abraham Oshadami, Head of Spectrum Administration of the NCC, informed the audience that at fourth quarter of 2021, the sector contributed 12.61% to GDP, a reasonable jump from 8.50% in 2015. Active mobile voice subscriptions also increased from 151 million in 2015 to more than 204 million in May 2022, while the teledensity is 107.17%.
On Universal Access and Service, the Chief Executive of the NCC said that the Commission, through the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), has had tremendous success in ensuring that telecommunications are accessible to a large number of people (and communities) at affordable prices, in addition to various projects implemented by the Commission to increase universal access and service as well as to strengthen the government’s efforts in poverty reduction.
He said that through the Commission’s 2021-2025 Strategic Vision Implementation Plan (SVP), also known as the NCC Commission’s 5-Point Program, a number of steps have been taken. to implement all policies focusing on the digital economy that require the attention of the Commission, including the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025, and the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), 2020-2030. “We are confident that the communications industry will continue to experience quantum leaps that will benefit the national economy and its citizens,” EVC said.
Former NCC EVC Dr Ernest Ndukwe applauded the progressive steps the Commission has taken from the solid foundation laid with the Transparent Auction of 2001 and the Nigerian Communications Act of 2003 as the enabling legislation, thus giving a solid foundation on which current advancements are being made.
The event was attended by other prominent figures in the ICT sector including Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, Secretary to the Government of Akwa Ibom State, who served as the President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) ; Nkem Uwaje-Begho, Mr. Tim Akano, CEO of New Horizons, who made a presentation on the importance and benefits of 5G services. Frontline and seasoned journalists, other communications professionals specializing in the ICT sector, and many stakeholders in the telecommunications ecosystem also attended the event, all of whom spoke enthusiastically about the courage and Ukodie’s dedication in chronicling milestones in Nigeria’s telecommunications history.
