The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta, has said that Nigeria’s broadband penetration recorded a quantum leap in the last 7 months from November 2021 to May 2022, with a record of 7 million new subscriptions.
This, he said, was achieved through several steps being taken towards implementing all the digital economy-oriented policies 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.
He adds that the implementation of the Commission’s Strategic Vision Plan (SVP) 2021-2025, also known as NCC’s 5-Point Agenda, is contributing to the steady rise in the nation’s quest to achieve 70% national coverage by 2025.
What they are saying
- Presenting a keynote at the 11th eWorld Forum, which was held in Lagos yesterday, Danbatta said: “Internet subscribers have grown from 90 million in 2015 to 150.36 million as at May 2022. Also, within the period under review, broadband penetration increased from 8 per cent to 43.67%, indicating that over 83.3 million subscribers are on broadband networks of 3G and 4G. Indeed, between November 2021 and May 2022, the networks have added 7 million new users.”
- “It is our belief that the communications industry will continue to experience more quantum leaps that will be beneficial to the nation’s economy and its citizens,” the EVC added.
- Danbatta, who was represented at the event by NCC’s Head, Spectrum Administration, Abraham Oshadami, noted that in the fourth quarter of 2021, the telecoms sector contributed 12.61% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a reasonable leap from 8.50% in 2015. Active mobile voice subscriptions also increased from 151 million in 2015 to over 204 million as of May 2022, while teledensity is 107.17%.
On universal access and service, the NCC chief executive said the Commission, through the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), has recorded huge successes in ensuring that telecommunications services are accessible to a large number of people (and communities) at affordable prices, in addition to various projects being implemented by the Commission to increase universal access and service, as well as to enhance government efforts in poverty reduction.
