The Nigerian Communications Commission [NCC] has pledged to provide an effective solution to overcome the challenges of Right of Way in the country, as it would provide resilient telecoms infrastructure to maximize the benefits of the digital transformation and for ICT service delivery.
It stated that it would collaborate with the British Government in order to reform the administration of RoW and planning permits in Nigeria.
“We are 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 will work assiduously to achieve this commitment”, the Commission’s EVC, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta said.
He spoke during the virtual forum on Right of Way Reforms and Planning Permits for Masts and Towers in Nigeria hosted by the British Government’s Prosperity Fund’s Digital Access Programme in conjunction with the NCC and the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy recently.
He encouraged the telecom service providers to collaborate with the state governments in order to effectively overcome the challenges confronting them.
The Commission’s Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Adeleke Adewolu who spoke on behalf of the EVC maintained that the solutions would extract inputs from the technical session.
According to him, the input of the conference will assist the federal government to reduce the encumbrances bedeviling ICT infrastructure, especially in the provision and building of resilient fixed infrastructure in the country.
He said the collaboration will further assist the Commission in its quest to deepen broadband deployment and penetration in Nigeria.
While highlighting the main benefits that would accrue from the deployment of broadband, he said an ubiquitous broadband “will propel social and economic development and growth of citizens, local content development, innovations and the proliferation of ICT industries to build digital skills”.
Participants at the event include Hon. Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isah Ali Pantami, the UK Government’s Digital Access Programme Adviser and Country Lead, Idongesit Udo; Governors of Ekiti, Katsina, Sokoto, Imo, Plateau and Kwara.
Other key stakeholders included the 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.
