NCC to expand broadband penetration to drive digital economy at grassroots
By Ibrahim Adeleke
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has promised to enhance its efforts to extend broadband to the rural and underserved areas in order to drive national digital economy to the grassroots.
The NCC Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, said the Commission is mindful of the infrastructure gaps in the country, reiterating its commitment towards bridging the gap.
He said the underserved population of the country will not be left out in the national broadband plan when the implementation comes to fruition.
Speaking on the critical issue of financial inclusion expected to be facilitated by a robust infrastructure deployment for broadband availability, Danbatta said the Commission is trying to make sure broadband is taken to every part of the country.
“As a Commission, we have a mandate to ensure availability of universal access to telecom services irrespective of circumstances and location of Nigerians and other users in Nigeria,” he said.
The EVC notes that that voice communications already has over 100 per cent penetration across the country while working on the broadband.
Danbatta, who spoke through Freda Bruce-Bennet of the Digital Economy Department, reiterated the Commission’s focus on supporting the quest for financial inclusion through provision of robust infrastructure such as broadband.
At the event hosted by Oriental News Nigeria, an online news organisation in Ikeja, Lagos, which focused on: “Engaging with Critical Grassroots Groups to Develop Effective Financial Inclusion Initiatives”, Danbatta said the Commission has been at the forefront of driving technology platforms required to drive increased access to financial services by all Nigerian residents.
He cited the current implementation of an open access model (Infraco licensing) for deployment of broadband infrastructure in the six geopolitical zones, as well as Lagos (which enjoys a special status within telecom ecosystem), as one of the strategies adopted by the Commission to ensure a robust infrastructure deployments that will support many platforms that can accelerate financial inclusion.
The NCC boss noted tgat the Commission had facilitated strategic partnerships with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Fintech Association of Nigeria (FintechNGR), the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Rockefeller Partnership Agreement (RPA), and other government agencies, to promote Digital Financial Services (DFS) and Digital Financial Inclusion (DFI) in Nigeria.
Danvatta also stated that the NCC, through its Digital Economy Department, is fostering the development of a portal for the Association of Skilled Vocational Artisans of Nigeria (ASVAN) for information and digital training purposes.
The Chairman, Bank Customers Association of Nigeria, Dr. Uju Ogubunka, applauded the Commission for its regulatory efforts in creating an enabling environment for digitized financial inclusion as he charged the participants and other government agencies present to take advantage of the information portal of the Commission to glean necessary information.
He said robust digital economy will, among other things, improve the standard of living of the people who are willing to harvest the benefits.
