The Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) in agreement with its commitment to involve stakeholders in the telecommunication network has once again held the second edition of the Nigerian Telecoms Leadership Summit, with the sole aim of pursuing practical regulatory interventions pointing at ensuring   a suitable and effective environment for communication, while refining investment climate in the Nigerian tele-com industry.

The event was marked by prestigious key industry stakeholders, who came together with one principal objective, to examine the current state of the telecom sector and look for solutions to ensure the stability and the growth of the telecom industry.  The event took place at the Eko hotels, Victoria Island lagos.

The theme of the occasion “The future of Telecom Regulation In Nigeria”  as explained by the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive officer of the NCC, prof. Umar Danbatta  presents a rare opportunity for the commission to discuss with critical investors.

Through such interaction, the EVC said the Commission would be able to brainstorm and migrate to new frontiers of visionary regulations that will galvanise and foster desired growth in the industry.

He further clarified that the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic triggered political and socio-economic uncertainties globally and underscored the crucial role of digital connectivity in keeping societies functioning, as online life became, essentially, a new way of life.

He stated that with the increased dependence on digital platforms, the theme of the event had become necessary in order to put in place a broader regulatory framework that will enhance and protect the integrity of the industry in the emergent digital economy.

In this context, the EVC said the NCC will continue to diligently pursue the implementation of policy frameworks such as the Nigeria National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025; and the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020-2030 which are consistent with NCC’s regulatory interventions such as the Commission’s Strategic Management Plan (SMP), 2020-2024 and Strategic Vision Plan (SVP), 2021-2025, among others.

Danbatta said all the policy and regulatory frameworks principally seek to provide a platform for Nigerian citizens to engage in innovative developments for the telecoms industry and improve the nation’s ability to compete in the ever-competitive global space.

Explaining further on the transformation happening as a result of the expanding spectrum of digital ecosystem, he said the industry is witnessing new business delivery and breakthroughs due to the expansion of boundaries of digital Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), especially fintech and e-commerce firms. The EVC said those consequential ecosystem have contributed to the growth of the Nigerian digital economy riding on telecom infrastructure.

Danbatta aptly reckoned that digital services and content provided by these SMEs will leverage on broadband infrastructure and the upcoming deployment of the Fifth Generation (5G) network being driven by the Commission to deliver more innovative and high-quality experiences to consumers.

“The Commission’s successful auction and licensing of the 3.5GHz spectrum licenses in the last quarter of 2021 for the deployment of 5G technology is set to create many opportunities for the development of the industry and as a regulator, we are conversant with the fact that a dynamic regulatory environment is needed to sustain this industry growth”, Danbatta said.

“Therefore, it has become imperative for us, as critical stakeholders, to appraise the progress made so far as an industry and chart the course for the future of the telecoms industry in the country,” he stated. The EVC also informed that one of the sectors that had been positively impacted by the digital transformation is the financial services sector.

Amplifying the EVC’s position, in his keynote address titled: “The Future of Telecom Regulation in Nigeria: Challenges of Access to Funding”, the

Chief Executive Officer of Stanbic IBTC, Dr. Ademola Sogunle, asserted that the telecommunications industry had become the sustaining stimulus of the post-pandemic era as consumers’ behaviours continue to shift towards digital trends. Danbatta said that the contribution of the telecom sector continues to benefit the entire ecosystem.

While reviewing resolutions of the first edition of the Summit held in 2019, the Director, Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis, NCC, Yetunde Akinloye, said the Commission had implemented the recommendations of that meeting among which were Executive Order on Duplicity of Taxes and Levies, and Harmonization of Right of Way (ROW) fees.

She said other recommendations implemented include addressing of interconnect debt, review of the framework on interconnect clearing houses to ensure 10 per cent of traffic is routed through clearing houses, incentives for small operators as well as monitoring compliance with Code of Corporate Governance.

To sustain the momentum from the previous industry leadership engagement, this year’s Summit provided the Chief Executives of companies in the telecom sector an opportunity to meet the EVC and top Management of the Commission at a roundtable for deeper thinking and greater reflection on the challenges in the sector and proffer meaningful solutions.