By George Ozalla
The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, on Thursday held a high-level business roundtable in Abuja with major industry stakeholders, policymakers and private sector players to deliberate on ways of improving broadband penetration and safeguarding the nation’s critical telecom infrastructure.
Telecommunications company, Globacom Limited, took a leading role at the forum, reaffirming its commitment to the Federal Government’s broadband development agenda and its determination to continue investing heavily in infrastructure that will strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy.
The meeting, which had as its theme “Right of Way and Protection of Broadband Infrastructure – The Road to Success in Broadband Investment and Connectivity,” brought together representatives of state governments, network operators, and regulatory agencies to address the challenges of broadband deployment and to agree on sustainable strategies for protection of telecom facilities.
Globacom expressed concern over the persistent vandalism of telecom infrastructure across the country and called for stronger protection mechanisms and legal enforcement to deter such acts. The company reiterated that broadband access is central to economic growth, education, innovation and social inclusion, and must therefore be treated as essential national infrastructure.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, said the Commission remains committed to ensuring a harmonized framework that will remove barriers to broadband rollout, especially those related to the high cost and delay in obtaining Right of Way permits from state governments. He called for closer cooperation between states and the federal government to create a uniform policy that supports investment and expansion of broadband networks nationwide.
Stakeholders at the roundtable also identified multiple taxation, security challenges, and unstable power supply as major factors slowing down broadband penetration. They noted that Nigeria’s broadband coverage, which currently stands below 50 percent, must be rapidly expanded to meet the target of 70 percent as outlined in the National Broadband Plan.
Globacom used the opportunity to restate its commitment to digital inclusion through continued investment in fiber optic networks and other infrastructure that will extend reliable and affordable internet access to rural and underserved communities.
The NCC expressed optimism that the outcome of the discussions would help create a more investment-friendly environment, strengthen protection of critical national infrastructure and fast-track the attainment of Nigeria’s broadband goals.
The roundtable ended with participants pledging stronger collaboration among all stakeholders to ensure that the telecom sector continues to play its vital role in driving national development and economic transformation.
