In a landmark move, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has initiated the deployment of a cutting-edge Wireless Internet Cloud at the Nasarawa State College of Education Akwanga.

This strategic move comes in the wake of the Nasarawa State Government’s recent enactment of the Right of Way Regulation 2023.

Governor Abdullahi Sule, leading the charge, personally inspected the ongoing installation of this state-of-the-art facility in Akwanga, underscoring the government’s commitment to fostering a digitally empowered environment.

The groundbreaking Nasarawa State Right of Way (RoW) Regulation 2023 abolishes RoW charges for the establishment and maintenance of telecommunications infrastructure within the state.

Governor Sule, addressing the press during his inspection, hailed the legislation as a pivotal move towards propelling the state into a flourishing digital economy.

The ambitious project encompasses a 10km fiber network, a network operating center, and a dedicated power bank featuring a 10kva hybrid online inverter, along with the provision of 240 Mbps of complimentary internet service and one free line internet bandwidth.

This transformative initiative holds promise for revolutionizing connectivity and fostering technological advancement within Nasarawa State and beyond.

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TECHDIGEST – Following the statement by Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim​​ Pantami, minister of Communications and Digital Economy, revealing the Federal Government’s position on the deployment of 5G networks in Nigeria, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, the executive vice chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has said that the Commission is ready for the implementation of the government’s decision.

The EVC also lauded the thriving healthy competition in the telecommunications industry, which he said has driven down the prices of data in the country.

Fielding questions from Mr. Bitrus Bako Nabasu, the newly posted permanent secretary of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, during a presentation today in Abuja the NCC boss observed that the Commission as a Federal agency has always aligned its position and plan with the Federal Government.

“On the 5G, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami has spoken about the Federal Government’s position to deploy as soon as possible. Our state of readiness is very high. There’s an auction committee for 5G with a deployment plan ready. As you know, without a plan you cannot have a successful deployment.”

“All we are asking is additional spectrum to be allocated by the National Frequency Management Council (NFMC). Of course some of these spectrums are ready but we have to get the Federal Government’s approval to go ahead with the auctions,” he explained.

The EVC’s presentation touched on the enabling laws and mandates of the Commission, its structure as well his scorecards among others.

Intimating the new Permanent Secretary on the forthcoming book launch of the Commission scheduled to take place next month, the EVC noted that the book, which is technical in nature, will provide more insight into the workings of NCC under his watch.

“I have spoken about the first Strategic Vision Plan (SVP), comprising 8 agenda items. The SVP has come to the end and we have written a book providing documented progress we have made while implementing it. I am pleased to inform you that the book will be unveiled on 7th September, 2021,” he disclosed.

While commending Dr. Pantami for his efforts toward resolving some of the perennial challenges in the industry especially the Right of Way (RoW) charges, Danbatta urged governments at every level in Nigeria to respect the resolution of the National Economic Council on the harmonized RoW charges, to enable the industry to continue to grow and prosper.

“The Commission will continue to put in its best in the discharge of its mandate, especially in facilitating the deployment of broadband infrastructure, which is central to diversifying the Nigerian economy and national development.”

“It’s our belief also that the communications industry, under the leadership of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, will experience more quantum leap and retain its current flagship role in the telecommunication space,” Danbatta pointed out.

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TECH DIGEST – Over one year after the 36 state governors agreed to implement the unified rate of N145 per linear metre fee for Right of Way (RoW) in the laying of fibre optic cables for broadband deployment, 29 states have refused to implement the agreement, a situation that is slowing down the pace of broadband deployment and penetration in the country.

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ibrahim Pantami, who delivered the keynote address at a recent virtual stakeholders’ forum, organised by the Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), said few days ago, the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, gave his consent in writing, to begin the implementation of the agreement in the state.

The recent development would take the total number of states implementing the new RoW fee to seven, which includes: Kaduna, Katsina, Plateau, Ekiti, Kwara, Anambra and Imo.

Worried about the development, Pantami appealed to the 29 state governors to consider implementing the new rate as earlier agreed, to enable Nigeria meet its 70 per cent broadband penetration target by 2025, as enshrined in the 2020-2025 Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP).

According to the Minister, he had engaged with the members of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), facilitated by its chairman, the Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, on the 22nd of January 2020, and they agreed on the unified rate.

“At that meeting, I made a presentation on the benefits of broadband and requested the buy-in of the governors for the implementation of Broadband Plan and the Digital Economy Policy for a Digital Nigeria, and the governors unanimously agreed to adopt a maximum of N145/linear metre.

“Some of the governors have even waived this amount altogether. Many of the governors have begun full implementation and some have notified us in writing.

“We received reports that some states have introduced some extraneous charges that have increased the charges beyond the amount agreed. We are discussing with states involved in such cases, with a view to addressing the disparity,” Pantami said.

Before the January 2020 meeting there was disparity in the fees charged by state governors in their respective states, which range between N500 to N6,000 per linear metre.

Pantami’s keynote address, which focused on the importance of broadband in national development, also assessed the level of broadband penetration in the country and how to achieve the country’s broadband strategies, which seek to deliver data download speeds across Nigeria at a minimum of 25Mbps in urban areas, and 10Mbps in rural areas, with effective coverage available to at least 90 per cent of the population and penetration rate of 70 per cent by 2025 at a price not more than N390 per 1GB of data.

The NNBP also targets the deployment of nationwide fibre coverage to reach all state capitals, and provision of a point of presence in at least 90 per cent of local government headquarters. It also targets tertiary educational institutions, major hospitals in each state and fibre connectivity at statutory rates of N145/meter for Right of Way (RoW).

President of ATCON, Ikechukwu Nnamani, in his opening remarks, said: “The development of a solid digital economy rests on the foundation of a well distributed broadband infrastructure and involves the convergence of all technology types and classes of service.

“To this end we have brought together key industry leaders cutting across the nine sub-group of ATCON’s membership to discuss and strategise with the leadership of the public sector on the best ways to achieve an accelerated implementation of the Nigerian National Broadband Plan.”

Chairman of MTN Board of Directors, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, said the private sector must be actively engaged in achieving the Nigerian National Broadband Plan, because broadband is the driver of economic growth and development. He stressed the need for more telecoms infrastructure rollout by telecoms operators and the need for funding of broadband rollout in rural areas by government.

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TECH DIGEST – The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, has said that diligent implementation of the recommendations contained in the New National Broadband Plan (NNBP 2020-2025) will give the country a push into economic prosperity and create opportunities for job creation and innovation that will influence the GDP positively.

The NNBP was unveiled and launched by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, on the 19th of March, 2020. Mr President also provided the mandate that was included in the Plan.

To consolidate on the plan, Pantami made a presentation on the benefits of broadband and requested the buy-in of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum for the implementation of Broadband Plan and the Digital Economy Policy for a Digital Nigeria.

The Governors unanimously agreed to adopt a maximum of N145/linear metre (for Right of Way). Some of the governors have even waived this amount altogether. Many of the Governors have begun full implementation and some have notified us in writing.

The Minister speaking during a Virtual engagement with key stakeholders in the Nigerian Telecom and IT Sector on the new Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP 2020-2025) organised by the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) on Thursday, March 25, 2020, said that reports indicate some States have introduced some extraneous charges that have increased the charges beyond the amount agreed.

To this end, Pantami said that the Ministry “are discussing with States involved in such cases, with a view to addressing the disparity”.

“Last week, on the 18th March 2021 to be precise, I addressed the National Economic Council (NEC). The meeting was chaired by His Excellency, the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo and it had more than 30 Governors in attendance.

“I made a detailed presentation on the importance of broadband to the economy of the country and discussed the impact of ICT and telecoms on the economy, as reported by the National Bureau of Statistics in the 4th Quarter GDP Report.

“The ICT sector grew by 14.70% in the 4th Quarter, over 4 times the next fastest growing sector. Furthermore, the ICT sector also grew by 12.90% in 2020, more than 3 times the growth rate of the second fastest growing sector.

“These statistics do not even include digital services, which constitute a major part of the digital economy. I then emphasized the need for the Governors to abide by the earlier resolution of N145/linear metre.

“There was a robust question and answer session, where many of the governors commended our modest efforts and urged their colleagues to abide by the resolution. His Excellency, the Vice President, also urged the Governors to support the implementation of the Broadband Plan by abiding to the Right of Way resolution.

“Some of the governors also emphasized the need for the operators to ensure that they repair the roads that they damage during the installation of fibre optic cables. I use this forum to urge all operators to ensure that this is done”.

Pantami also informed stakeholders who joined the ATCON session about progresses made since the NNBP 2020-2025 was launched by President Buhari:

Pantami listed the progress so far as follows:

i. As at the time we commenced I started supervising the Ministry in August 2019 and we began the process of drafting the Broadband Plan, our broadband penetration in the country was just over 33%. As a result of the implementation of the new plan, the broadband penetration significantly increased to 45.07% by November 2020.

ii. Our engagement with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum in January 2020 has inspired several state governments to adopt the N145/meter and a few of these States have even waived the fee altogether.

iii. The average cost of 1GB of data has reduced from the January 2020 cost of N1,000 to N487.18 in November 2020, surpassing the target of achieving N700/1GB by 2023

iv. Furthermore, the telecommunications sector recorded a growth rate of 15.90% in the year 2020 from 11.41% in 2019 and 11.33% in 2018, making it the highest growth rate in the last 10 years. This performance is unprecedented.

V. His Excellency, President Buhari, GCFR has directed the security agencies to protect all Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) across the country and I have directed the Nigerian Communications Commission to engage stakeholders in order to have a legislation that criminalizes any one that vandalizes equipment identified as a CNI.

Vi . An Open Access Model has been developed to support fibre connectivity across the country with the aim of achieving the 120,000km fibre reach. We have had an increase from 47,000km to 54,725km.

vii. The 3G/4G Base Station Transceivers (BTS) have increased from 30,000 to 53,460.

viii. Also, regarding the deployment of National Satellite Broadband, NIGCOMSAT is in discussion with some operators to provide mobile back haul solutions to about 1000 sites in the remote undeserved areas and the process for getting a backup satellite for Compensation has been initiated.

iX. A policy has been developed in line with the Duct Network Development/Dig Once initiative to greatly reduce the down-time that results from fibre cuts. There is also a plan towards engaging with other relevant Ministries in this regard.

X. We are promoting the efficient use of assigned Spectrum through the enforcement of the “Use it, Trade it or Lose it” Policy on Spectrum.

Xi. We have developed draft guidelines on Television White Spaces (TVWS) and the document is undergoing legal review

Pantami said that the journey is encouraging and significant progress has been made in realizing some of the targets set in the new Broadband Plan.

“Most of the challenges are being addressed. However, there is a critical need for deliberate efforts by all stakeholders towards ensuring that the targets set in this plan are realized.

“This stakeholders’ engagement is a good step in the right direction towards achieving this as we strive to position our country to enjoy the benefits that ubiquitous nationwide broadband will provide,” he added.

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TECH DIGEST – Telecoms operators are lamenting the recent hike in telecoms charges by federal and state government agencies, a situation that has dampened the zeal of telecoms operators to roll out additional networks and services.

Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, who expressed the displeasure of telecoms operators over the new charges, told media that while the 36 states that had agreed to reduce the Right of Way (RoW) charges to N145 per linear metre, based on the agreement reached with the federal government, were implementing the decision, they were also introducing new charges and also hiked some of others.

He said: “Although a number of states agreed to reverse RoW charges in their states to the agreed N145 per linear metre, while they were reducing RoW charges, they were also introducing new charges and increasing some of the existing charges in the telecoms sector, which made a mess of their promise to reduce RoW charges.”

He said land rent for telecoms sites, annnual administrative renewal fee, among others that were not in existence before, were newly introduced.

Other charges such as environmental impact assessment fee, licence permit fee, carbon emission fee, sanitation charges, company income tax, education tax, annual operating levy on net revenue and VAT on consumption of services, utility tax, among others, were also increased.

“Quite a number of charges that were very low initially, were suddenly increased. So the issue of multiple taxes affected additional network rollout in 2020,” Adebayo said.

According to him, existing charges were increased between 70 per cent and 100 per cent, depending on states, while new fees were also introduced. The licence permit and tenement fees, which initially vary between N20,000 and N35,000, were increased to between N100,000 and N150,000 in some states and operators were asked to be paying annually, as against the initial one-off payment.

Base Transceiver Station (BTS) sites fee has also been introduced at the rate of N500,000. This is different from the usual business premises charge of N250,000.

Environmental impact report fee was also introduced at the rate of between N1.5 million and N2 million, different from the usual environmental impact assessment fee of N500,000 that telecoms operators used to pay, Adebayo said.

He explained that government agencies have resorted to using consultants in collecting the new charges and would refuse to issue permit licence when the fees are not paid, thereby slowing down the rate of network expansion in the affected states.

Adebayo advised governors and state agencies to begin to see the benefits of wide spread of telecoms infrastructure in their states, above the gains of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

The 36 state governors, in January, had met with the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ibrahim Pantami, to address the lingering issue of RoW charges in a bid to deepen broadband penetration in the country and promote a digital economy.

At the meeting, the governors unanimously agreed to reverse the RoW charges from the planned N6,000 per linear metre, to N145 per linear metre.

The meeting was attended by state governors, under the auspices of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, led by its Chairman, Dr. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State.

Four months later, seven states out of the 36 states, began the implementation of the RoW fee regime.

The seven states were Katsina, Ekiti, Kaduna, Imo, Plateau, Kwara and Anambra States.

The federal government in 2013 had an agreement with telecoms operators to implement a new flat rate of N145 per linear metre on RoW charges, but since 2013, no state implemented it, which prompted Pantami to meet with the governors in January 2020, where he reminded them of the 2013 agreement on RoW charges and its benefits on the growth of telecoms infrastructure across states.

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