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In recognition of his effort at entrenching anti-corruption culture in the communications industry, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta has received an ambassadorial badge from the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa.
Bawa presented the badge to Danbatta yesterday in Abuja when the latter paid a courtesy visit to his office to deepen the synergy between the two agencies.
The NCC, under the leadership of Prof. Danbatta has been in the vanguard of promoting transparency and openness with the strengthening of its Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit in line with the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Act.
The ICPC in 2020 ranked the NCC above other departments and agencies of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy (MoCDE).
The NCC topped the list among three other agencies under the ministry, which featured in the intra-ministerial agencies’ ranking in ethics compliance and institutional integrity with 81.
15 per cent.
Similarly, the Commission led 24 other regulatory agencies to emerge as the most ethically-compliant parastatal among 25 different regulatory agencies assessed in the anti-graft agency’s Ethics Compliance and Integrity Scorecards (ECIS), 2020.
In 2017, the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) awarded the NCC the topmost Platinum recognition for its institutional work processes, courtesy of its robust business organisational structure, policies, and practices that facilitated effective and efficient service delivery.
In arriving at this conclusion, the BPSR also listed accountabilities and responsibilities for setting Standardised Operating Procedure (SOP) manuals of the Commission’s 19 departments as some of the high points.
Also, the NCC’S Computer Security Incident Response Team (NCC-CSIRT) has been at the forefront of rolling out preventive measures in the country and helping in the process to curbing cyber-related crimes.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has inaugurated the Virginia Tech. Nigerian Bowen Equatorial Aeronomy Radar (VT-NigerBEAR) at Bowen University, Iwo, Osun State.
Performing the inauguration on Friday at the institution’s premises, Osinbajo said it was the first and currently the only deployment of an equatorial-low-latitude SuperDARN in the world.
The project involves local and international teams and institutions, including the Virginia Tech SuperDarn HF radar group, the U.
S. Air Force Research Laboratory, Bowen University and the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA).
According to the vice president, the VT NigerBear is the 36th Super Dual Auroral Radar Network or SuperDarn, for short, in the world.
“The SuperDarn, as we have heard, is a network of High Frequency (HF) radars that look into Earth’s upper atmosphere.
“The radars operate round the clock and they observe the motion of charged particles (plasma) in the ionosphere and other effects that provide scientists with information on Earth’s space environment.
“Their work provides insights into space weather hazards.
So all long distance High Frequency signals such as in ocean going vessels, aircraft, global broadcast communications and short wave radio communication may be affected by irregularities in the ionosphere.
“These irregularities degrade HF and GPS signals; the SuperDarn discovers these irregularities so that remedial action may then be taken.
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He said that the first SuperDarn monitoring conditions of the near-Earth space environment in the high latitude regions achieved its official status in 1995.
Osinbajo said that in 2005, the “mid-latitude” SuperDARN began operating at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia, USA.
He said that the second was deployed in Hokkaido, Japan in, 2006.
“Today, there are 21 mid-latitude SuperDARN radars across the world, providing immense technology advantages at the mid-latitude regions.
“But irregularities in the ionosphere are also found in the lower latitudes, the equatorial low latitudes, and because there was no SuperDarn, the causes of degrading HF and GPS signals have remained a mystery.
“Now our own SuperDarn radar, the VTNigerBear will resolve that mystery.
“The VTNigerBear is the first and currently the only deployment of an equatorial-low-latitude SuperDARN anywhere in the world.
“This is a major leap forward in finding solutions to degradation of HF and GPS signals and will directly impact so many aspects of life and commerce.
“The extensive experience of the SuperDARN creates opportunities for Nigeria to leverage existing expertise, information and data as she joins a global network with experience spanning decades.
”
Osinbajo said the project could radically transform communications – infrastructure, space research, equipment design, geo-mapping, forecasting and prediction of atmospheric, climatic and oceanic conditions within Nigeria and the near low latitudes.
The vice president said it could be useful for offshore oil exploration activities, support the activities of the navy by measuring ocean wave heights, surface currents, and surface wind directions over vast, remote areas on Nigerian waterways.
“And it can also significantly change the quality of our communications, telecommunications devices, global positioning systems, satellite communications, military communications, aerial surveillance.
“And in particular the data obtained from the VT-NigerBEAR will be useful in the design of resilient equipment for Nigeria’s communications industry, and for the work of Government agencies such as NASRDA and Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC).
“The data will also be useful for forecasting and prediction purposes for equipment manufacturers, because Nigeria’s growth in technology will also leave us vulnerable to space weather effects.
“With the Canadian SuperDARN for example, Canada utilizes the data obtained from it to plan ahead for challenges such as pipeline corrosion, damage to electrical power grids, degradation of satellite navigation accuracy, loss of radio communications, and damage to telecommunications satellites that facilitate billions of dollars of business every day.
“The SuperDARN is also an important part of the Canadian Space Agency’s Geospace Observatory, working with some institutions of higher learning, and sector partners, the SuperDARN team makes significant contributions to space science research to understand the complex parts of the Space Weather system.
”
He said that Nigeria joined the SuperDARN, and must take advantage of the data collected by SuperDARN worldwide.
Osinbajo said Nigeria must utilise the data obtained and in collaboration with the network to contribute to the understanding of space weather, its benefits and disadvantages.
and its impact on operations such as radio and satellite communications, oil pipelines and power grids.
“But perhaps more importantly the success of this project will serve as a template for other high-level research and scientific collaborations between Nigerian and international partner institutions by connecting results to industry and converting data to useful information for commercial and social good projects.
“We are all extremely proud of Bowen University and the team that has worked on this project, placing Nigeria on the SuperDARN global map and in the network of nations that play host to the international scientific radar network,” he said.
The vice president commended the Vice Chancellor, Bowen University, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole, for his leadership on the project.
He also acknowledged the Principal investigator of the project, Dr Olawale Bolaji, of University of Lagos, Prof. Babatunde Rabiu of NASRDA and other partners of the project for their support.
Osinbajo later had an exhibition tour of the facilities.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
Curbing export rejects through improved standards
Curbing export rejects through improved standards
By Gregory Mmaduakolam, News Agency of Nigeria
International trade is vital to the growth of any economy.
Nigeria’s economy has been largely serviced by foreign exchange earned from crude oil sales.
The present administration, on various occasions, has vowed to continue to move the country away from monolithic economy to one in which foreign exchange is earned from diverse sources.
Speaking at the 27th Annual National Conference of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, has said there is a need to sustain the diversification of the economy already achieved by this administration.
Represented at the event by the Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba, said that a national development plan has been generated to respond to the challenges of a mono-economy.
He said the two broad objectives of the plan is leveraging on various growth sectors, strengthening linkages and enhancing value chain.
One of the sectors expected to drive this agenda is agriculture and the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, Dr Ernest Umakhihe says emphasis is being placed on adding value to agro products before exporting them.
He spoke at the 45th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Agriculture and Rural Development (NCARD) in Jos, Plateau State.
Experts say this target faces one major challenge—the rejection of produce from Nigeria by the international market.
Some of the reasons cited for the rejections are food safety, technical barriers, non-adherence to best practices and disregard for basic requirements.
Nigeria being faced with a lot of economic challenges as experienced globally by other nations cannot just relax and allow this other way of earning foreign exchange from its products at the global markets to slip it by, without ensuring that critical measures are taken to harness this advantage.
The Executive Director, Nigerian Export Promotion Council, NEPC, Dr Ezra Yakusak has acknowledged this shortcoming, saying that the Council was poised to address it holistically.
“Packaging and labelling is also a key factor that determines the sustainability of products in the foreign market.
“The problem of quality, standard, certification and appropriate packaging for Made-in-Nigeria products destined for export has been an issue due to lack of awareness.
“In fact the international market in its competitive nature will only welcome products of high quality with relevant certifications and quality packaging that is environmentally friendly”, the media recently quoted him as saying.
According to him, the international market is so competitive that any little detail that is not fixed can cause the exporting country several billions of dollars and discourage exporters from patronising products from that country in the future.
“ In most cases, packaging has often been approached from the view point of providing safety for the product thereby neglecting the other qualities such as the aesthetics and design nature of the packaging itself.
“The market world has changed systematically giving more preference to products with good packaging and edging out producers without certification,’’ he said.
Similarly Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Director-General of National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), said, over 76 per cent of Nigeria’s exported agricultural commodities are rejected in Europe for not meeting required standards.
Adeyeye, while speaking on measures taken to improve the country’s agricultural product exports, said the agency got the feedback through its rapid alert systems.
“We’ve got to work hard to show that we love this country to the extent that we will not bring disgrace to the country from outside.
“When somebody saves money, gets loans or whatever, exports an agricultural product and that product is rejected, it breaks my heart,” she said.
Mrs Adeyeye said it is important for exporters to respect regulatory procedures of NAFDAC and Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Services (NAQS) when processing their export farm produce for export.
“So the people that are exporting are either taking shortcuts or they’re being deceived that their products are okay, just ship it, we will take care of it,” she said in a recent media report.
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She, therefor, appealed to commodity exporters to work closely with relevant authorities such as NAFDAC and NEPC to ensure that the chance of their products being rejected abroad was drastically minismised.
“I am pleading with all exporters, and MSMEs who want to export to please come to NAFDAC to make sure their products meet international market standards,” she said.
In adding , the Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said the Federal Government was doing everything possible to ensure that products being exported from Nigeria were not rejected abroad for not meeting health safety standards.
Ehanire, spoke in Lagos State during the opening of a six-day training for members of the National Codex Committee on Food Safety Risk Analysis and the revised NCC procedural manual organised in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
He said the Federal Government had taken steps “to ensure protection of food safe also to ensure fair practice in international food trade’’.
“We have been hearing of rejection of our products; it is because there’s no adherence to standards, and this is not giving the country a good image.
“It’s affecting us economically; tourism wise and in every other aspect’’, he said.
Malam Farouk Salim, Director-General, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), said the Organisation has raised the standards to check the rejection faced by Nigeria’s agricultural commodities in global markets.
The move according to the standards body is apt and timely to make Nigeria agro commodities competitive at the international markets, especially with the introduction of African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA)
According Salim, Nigerian goods are rejected, because they fail standard procedure locally before being exported.
“Exporters do not check the standards of the country they are exporting to.
“So as long as our exporters ignore our standards they will have their products rejected.
If they follow due procedures; we are here to partner and assist them to make sure that their products are accepted globally.
”
“If the exporters come through us and they follow the standards of our country and they follow the standards of the country they are exporting to, they will have no problem of rejection” he said.
Dr Vincent Isegbe, Director-General, NAQS, urged exporters to take advantage of experts in his agency to reduce the losses they incur due to the rejection of their products abroad.
“Commodities leaving Nigeria must be signed and certified by the Service to get the Phytosanitary Certificate.
“As custodians of rules and regulations concerning plants and products, we have power to exercise our obligations towards all those international protocols”, he said.
As exporters seek to leverage on the international market to project Nigeria’s products and maximise profit, it will benefit them to key into Federal Government’s policies to ensure their products is of top quality.
(NANFeafutures)
**If used please credit the writer and News Agency of Nigeria.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
The Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) has reassured the public that the new Fifth Generation network popularly known as 5G has no negative health effects.
The Enugu Zonal Controller of the NCC, Mr Ogbonnaya Ugama, made the clarification in Enugu on Saturday at a round table with members of the Association of Heads of Federal Establishments (AHFEs).
Ugama explained that there was no convincing evidence associated with emissions from electromagnetic devices including handsets were harmful to the body.
According to him, international bodies including the World Health Organizations (WHO) had established a threshold that there is no solid evidence that 5G causes negative health effects on humans and animals.
The controller however, advised users not to hold these electromagnetic devices like handsets close to their body if they had doubts.
“NCC will do everything possible to guarantee the safety of the citizenry and ensure that every equipment with set standards is approved.
Ugama reiterated the benefits of the 5G network saying that it was designed to increase speed, reduce latency and improve flexibility of wireless services.
“5G has theoretical peak speed of 20 Gigabytes per Second (GBPS) while the peak speed of 4G is only one GBPS.
“5G can transform the Nigeria’s economy, dwelling on its projected impact in sectors of education, finance, security, agriculture, healthcare, entertainment and even governance,” he said.
The controller disclosed that Nigeria was the third country in Africa that had rolled out the 5G network adding that it was operational in six states of Lagos, Imo, Borno, Kano, Rivers, Oyo and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Ugama said the network would be extended to other states by 2025. www.
ng
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
Experts on Thursday emphasised the need to revitalise the country’s educational system through the application of technology and innovation as key ingredients for its transformation.
They gave the advice on Thursday at the fourth edition of the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) African EduTech Conference with the theme: “Africa’s Edutech Model: Reshaping You for The Future”.
Ms Bisi Adeyemi, President, NBCC, noted that 91.3 per cent of the world’s learning population was impacted by the global shutdown occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Adeyemi said the development meant that about 1.5 billion students were not in school, largely impacted developing nations, a lot of which are in Africa.
She noted that the pandemic which she described as an unexpected global event caused a huge shift in the way Africans accessed learning tools as the majority of schools had to adapt to the learning-from-home education model.
All these, she explained, reawakened the quest for transformative education that stands on the tripod of digitalisation, education financing and the future of work; supported by a responsive policy environment.
“This is the only way to guarantee a future-focused African society that we all will be proud of.
“This is as this conference discusses topical issues such as; the African education policy, school adoption, financing edutech tools and improving the capacity of the workforce through internships beneficial to the growth of the Nigerian education sector,” she said.
Prof. Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), said that COVID-19 pandemic had further revealed the extent of mankind’s dependence on Information and Communication Technology (ICT), as modern species.
Danbatta, represented by Prof. Ismail Adedigba, Director, Research and Development, NCC, stated that new and emerging technologies were fast reshaping different sectors of the country’s economy and that the education sector was not left out.
He noted that recent years had witnessed the proliferation of different EdTech solutions aimed at facilitating teaching, learning and research in Nigeria.
Danbatta emphasised that the provision of quality education services especially in the 21st century was vital to bridging the digital-literacy divide and lay the knowledge-foundations for Nigeria’s transition to a fully digital economy.
“We recognise the role that ICT plays in the education space and have emphasised that telecoms and ICT are necessary catalysts that can effectively propel the advancement of other sectors of the Nigerian economy as well as facilitate socio-economic growth and development,” he said.
Danbatta said the commission had demonstrated its commitment to promoting the education sector through interventions such as the Advanced Digital Awareness Programme for Tertiary Institutions (ADAPT).
Others, he said, include the ongoing Tier-4 Digital Industrial Complexes (DIC) across the six geopolitical zones, yearly hackathon and innovation competitions aimed at addressing emerging socioeconomic challenges in Nigeria.
“There’s also the national essay competition, telecommunications-based research innovation grants to lecturers in Nigerian tertiary institutions, among others.
“The future is now and we must constantly innovate to be at par with global technologies and trends, Nigeria is truly blessed with young and bright minds who have the ability to make lasting impacts,” he said.
Mr Seyi Adeyemi, Chairman, Learning, Education and Training Committee, noted that African countries had been battling to measure up to advanced countries due to concomitant challenges.
These challenges, Adeyemi said, were tied to improperly managed education sector, social security issues and jaundiced government policies, among others.
He noted that African nations wading through the demands of the 21st century, without education built on technology and collective responsibility to make it work, would make the future of an African child a mirage; particularly in the post-Covid-19 era.
“The main objective of the conference is to reawaken the quest for transformative education that stands on the tripod of digitalisation, education financing and the future of work; supported by a virile policy environment.
“This is the only way to guarantee a future-oriented African society that all the stakeholders of the continent will be proud of,” he said.
Dr Femi Majekodunmi, Chairman, Universal Basic Education Board, Ogun, noted that problems associated with improving learning were still very much there.
He said that funding via individual philanthropy, blue chip companies, private sector and government efforts was very critical to revitalising the education sector.
Majekodunmi, however, called for commitment to the eradication of corruption to achieve all that the education sector set out to do.
Mr Oluwafemi Apena, Country Director, Unicaf, stressed the need for progressive collaboration to handling products that would shore up the education sector of the country.
He pushed for the public-private partnership model where companies, private institutions come together with the government to create solutions and infrastructure for the sector and manage the delivery of those solutions.
“One single infrastructure from technology can solve problem for the whole continent.
“Tech initiative are not location bounds and so anyone anywhere can partake from such innovation to improve the educational situation of the country.
“As part of the above, there’s the need for more functional open universities assisted by technology to address the challenges of out of school numbers,” he said.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
NAN) Executive Vice Chairman(EVC) of Nigerian Communications Commission(NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta said technology-driven telecommunications industry has contributed $70 billion to Nigeria’s economy.
Danbatta said that the industry had provided over 500,000 jobs in the public and private sectors and improved the lives of millions of Nigerians.
He made this disclosure in his keynote speech at a Cyberchain event in Abuja while speaking on the topic: “Using Technology to grow Nigeria’s GDP”.
Danbatta said that the impact of technology to the nation in any society had been tremendous.
Danbatta, who was represented by the Principal Manager, Digital Economy, Mrs Ella Eli highlighted that Nigeria’s adoption of 5G, e-commerce, Fintech and Big data had boosted the country’s revenue generation capacity.
According to him, “Nigeria’s adoption of digital technologies has enabled it to diversify its revenue and economy, created jobs, improved services and efficiency, reduced wastages, and optimised resources available”.
“Telecommunications has contributed over $70 billion to the Nigerian economy, provided over 500,000 jobs in the formal and informal sectors, and improved the lives of millions of Nigerians.
“Most Nigerians today cannot comprehend life without mobile phones.
“Presently, the liberalised telecommunications sector has brought with it, instant messaging, instant information, financial inclusion, telemedicine, smart farming, e-Commerce and virtual learning, however, the best is yet to come.
“The benefits of technology are endless and with technology becoming affordable, accessible, and available, these benefits will increase tremendously”.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Convener, CyberChain, Abuja, Jude Ozinegbe, said Nigeria was currently moving in the right direction towards embracing the gains of the tech ecosystem.
He said: “We are moving from Analogue to digital, some people seem to have been left behind, that is why we have decided to gather leaders in the space to educate us.
“We have leaders in this space that have seen the possibility and opportunity in this ecosystem.
“This is my contribution to expanding the digital economy in Nigeria.
As much as you can, contribute something positive about the space to amplify the good tidings within the ecosystem.
”
Ozinegbe said with proper knowledge of Blockchain, Nigerian youth can earn by using their cell phones and data.
On his part, a Crystocurrency Investigator, A and D Forensic, Adedeji Owonibi urged Nigerian youth to embrace the gains of Blockchain technology.
Speaking on the topic, “Blockchain Forensics and criminal elements:, Owonibi said a better dimension had been added to Blockchain and Digital technologies in Nigeria with the participation of the government.
He said: “If you are a criminal within the blockchain space, you could do anything in Nigeria, however with our coming and government involvement, we all have a part to play in bringing sanity in the sector.
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Owonibi said that decentralisation was a blessing for the ‘good guys’ in the blockchain sector, while a bad thing for those using it criminally.
He called for responsibility on the part of Nigerians in a bid to harness Blockchain opportunities.
“If you have any business in blockchain make sure you are compliant with rules and be crypto security conscious”, he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that blockchain technology is a decentralised, distributed ledger that stores the record of ownership of digital assets.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
Nigerian Governors have assured the Federal Government of their full cooperation on the Right of Way (RoW) issue to boost the nation’s digital economy drive.
Mr Godwin Obaseki of Edo gave the assurance during the maiden edition of Broadband Technical Awareness Forum For Governor’s organised by Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Thursday in Abuja.
Obaseki said that broadband penetration was very vital to improving ofgovernance in the states, adding that the regulator must create mutual trust for the Governors to key into the programme.
He assured the Minister and the NCC that states are willing and ready to collaborate and work together.
“We need to build more trust.
We have to understand what is going on in states and how they will benefit from internet penetration.
“A few things happened in the past, during COVID-19 MTN wanted to give states like Edo access to more broadband, but they did not get approvals from the regulator.
“When the policy of broadband came out five years ago, states were allocated certain providers, but they did not have capacity.
“For Edo for instance, we decided to bypass the instruction and went to get another deal with a different provider who had capacity that was how we were able to get 400km,”he said.
Obaseki said: “We believe there is so much to offer when we work together as subnational and Federal government.
“But, how we go about it must be of mutual benefit .
There must be openness, trust and put in mind what the states need.
”
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, used the opportunity to once again appeal to the state governors to see beyond the levy on RoW.
Pantami said: “There is need for us to engage our sub-nationals, our Governors, let them understand that the benefits of broadband penetration are beyond the right of way.
“Certain taxes being collected at the Federal Government, which the states are benefiting the same tax are being collected at the state level.
“This is the reason why we engaged them so that they will see the benefits of broadband penetration beyond collection of RoW and other charges, which are obstacles to broadband penetration in their states.
”
He, however, informed them of the benefits of broadband penetration in their states.
“When there is broadband penetration in our states, it will go a long way in supporting our security institutions, entire economy ecosystem, schools, citizens to update daily information and news.
“It is because of this our sub-nationals have a strong role to play.
Particularly when they comply with the agreement I engaged them on the 15th of January 2020 under the Nigerian Governors’ Forum.
“And I also engaged the Governors at the National Economic Council.
And at least four different times with the challenge of right of way and multiple taxation,” he stated.
The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), of the NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, appealed to the 36 state Governors to cooperate with the NCC and the ministry of Communications and Digital Economy to promote the nation’s digital economy drive.
“When you ask that the journey we have undertaken for almost ten to fifteen years or may be 20 years and the verdict today is, we are making progress indeed.
“But, we should ask ourselves; is that the kind of progress we would like to see?
Or is there room for us to improve what we need to do, in order to reach that destination that we want to reach.
“We must deploy infrastructure in a way and manner that will show inclusiveness.
“We can only achieve this dream by appealing to their excellencies spearheaded by the Edo Governor that he should please cooperate with NCC, the Minister and promote digital economy,” he said.
He, however, said that leading broadband infrastructure nations were those with the highest GDP per capital in the global broadband infrastructure ecosystem.
“These are countries with GDP per capita of between 50-60 thousand dollars.
“We can only better manage our environment when we put broadband infrastructure in place.
And above all, we will be able to meet our sustainable development goals.
“There is no goal that doesn’t have ICT component in it, that ICT component can only be accomplished if commensurate broadband infrastructure is put n place”.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
The Federal Government says it will soon provide a conduit masterpiece in every part of the country that will give future provider easier and cheaper installation of their services.
Prof. Isa Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, said this at the 4th Edition of Policy Implementation Assisted Forum(PIAFO) on Wednesday in Lagos.
Pantami said the idea tagged: National Dig Once Policy would enable future network providers install fiber by threading it through the existing conduit.
Pantami, in his address called: Laying the foundation for ubiquitous broadband for Nigeria’s economic breakthrough, said the policy would encourage infrastructure sharing among stakeholders.
The minister, who was represented by Engr Usman Ali, Deputy Director in the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC), said the “Dig Once” would discourage regular digging in the country.
The minister said that the synergy would promote seamless installation of fibre duct for effective broadband and reduce the barriers to Internet service providers.
According to him, Dig Once Policy promotes safety of citizens, reduces traffic congestion on the line and allows comprehensive planning.
The Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Prof Umar Danbatta also represented by Engr Usman Ali, said that NCC as the coordinating agency would ensure the policy was obeyed to the later.
Danbatta said that hopefully, by the end of the year, the policy would be unveiled.
Mr Olabode Ojo, Director, Fibre Operations, IHS Nigeria said that the policy would protect newly and recently paved roads and sidewalks and enhance the uniformity of construction.
He said that it would ensure efficient, non-duplicative placement of infrastructure in the Public Right of Way.
Mr Chidi Ajuzie, Group Chief Operating Officer, WTES Project Limited, said the collaboration would develop an ecosystem of trust among providers.
According to Ajuzie, it will support digital inclusion initiative, internet speed increase, price per data unit decrease, and increase data traffic competition.
Mr Omobayo Azeez, Lead Executive, PIAFO said that the summit was necessary to boost Nigeria’s digital economy drive.
Azeez said that to achieve 70 per cent broadband penetration target by 2025 required an ecosystem of willing and united stakeholders.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
The Federal Government has directed affected Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to reverse the unilateral upward tariff adjustments.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), through a letter dated Oct. 12, gave the directive following media reports of unilateral implementation of the recently approved 10 per cent upward tariff adjustments.
The adjustments were for some voice and data services by the service providers on their networks.
NCC’s Director, Public Affairs, Dr Reuben Muoka, made this known in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.
Muoka said that the consideration for 10 per cent approval was in line with the mandates of the commission as provided by the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.
He also said that it was in line with other extant Regulations and Guidelines, as this was within the provisions of existing price floor and price cap as determined for the industry.
He said that the decision was taken after a critical and realistic review, analysis of the operational environment and the current business climate in Nigeria, as it affects all sectors of the economy.
“The tariff adjustment was proposed and provisionally approved by the management, pending the final approval of the Board of the Commission.
“However, in the end, it did not have the approval of the Board of the Commission.
As a result, it is reversed,” he said.
He said that the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, had maintained that his priority was to protect the citizens and ensure justice to all stakeholders involved.
He quoted the minister as saying: “As such, anything that will bring more hardship at this critical time will not be accepted.
“This was also why he obtained the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari for the suspension of the proposed 5 per cent excise duty, in order to maintain a conducive enabling environment for the telecom operators.
“Much as there is an increase in the cost of production, the provision of telecom services is still very profitable and it is necessary that the subscribers are not subjected to a hike in charges.
”
In view of the above, he said the Commission would carry out further consultations with all industry stakeholders on the best approaches to protect and uphold the interest of both the consumers and the service providers.
“The commission will continue to entrench very transparent processes and procedures for rates determination in the industry.
“The process is usually carried out with wide industry consultation.
“It is through these processes that price floors and price caps for data and voice services are benchmarked, regularly reviewed, and determined from time to time.
“The commission will continue to abide by this time-tested process and international best practice to ensure efficient pricing mechanism for the telecommunications industry in Nigeria,” he said.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
Women in Technology (WITIN) on Saturday celebrated rural women farmers for their contributions in food production and urged them to embrace technology for food security.
The Convener, Women in Technology (WITIN), Mrs Martha Alade, said that the celebration was to bring women to the table for their voices to be heard.
Alade said that it was also to commemorate the International Rural Women’s Day with women farmers from Badagry.
The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, said at the event in Lagos that rural women farmers should leverage technology to boost food production
Danbatta said that Telecommunications and Information Communications Technology (ICT) pays a role in bringing efficiency in food production.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Oct 15. has been set aside by the United Nations as the International Rural Women’s Day.
The EVC was represented at the event by Mrs Oladoyin Aiyenitaju.
The theme of the programme is: “Rural Women Cultivating Good Food for All.”
The EVC said that modern agricultural technology increases employment, efficiency in production and time and cost reduction.
‘’Today, telecommunications industry plays a crucial role in providing the requisite support for the diversification of the economy through improving the knowledge economy using ICT as an enabler.
‘’Today telecommunications has enhanced human capabilities in areas such as health, education, agriculture, finance, transportation, commerce, governance,’” he said.
The EVC said that understanding the important role played by the ICT in bringing efficiency into food for people in rural areas especially the rural women, cannot be overemphasised.
He said that the NCC under the supervision of the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy in partnership with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) is committed to digital inclusivity.
He decried the low representation of girls in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) studies across the world.
Danbatta stressed the need to encourage more girls and strong women to actively pursue career in STEM to bridge the extant digital divide.
He said that the NCC has set up Public Access Point and ICT Training centre connecting all universities, colleges and hospitals.
The EVC also congratulated the ITU Secretary–General elect, Ms Doreen Bogdan-Martin, for her participation at the event and on her appointment as the first female Secretary-General.
Bogdan-Martin, in her goodwill message, promised to help the rural women to have safe and meaningful quality living access to women farmers.
She said that the theme of this year International Day of Rural Women’s Day was apt because of the role played by women in the world.
According to her, technology is helping women farmers in monitoring crops , predicting weather conditions as well as combating agricultural pest.
Bogdan-Martin said that she would be working with the NCC to fight gender inequality.
NewsSourceCredit: NAN
