The Nigerian Communications Commission yesterday said active mobile subscriptions have moved from a paltry 400,000 in 2001 to 209 million as of August this year.
The Commission also restated its commitment to driving the deployment and adoption of emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), utilization of the value of Big Data, Blockchain, Robotics, Virtual Reality, FINTECH, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and telemedicine, among others, to stimulate greater contribution of the sector to the economy.
Its Executive Vice Chairman, Prof Umar Danbatta who disclosed this at the just concluded Cyberchain Stakeholders conference in Abuja, said the Commission would not relent in ensuring the promotion of emerging technologies to stimulate businesses for the overall growth of the Nigerian economy.
He said it is also gladdening that telecoms have been an enabler of Nigeria’s economic growth and development as it contributes substantially to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Danbatta further noted that the NCC would remain focused on the expansion of broadband penetration and deployment of Fifth Generation (5G) technology in the interest of Nigeria and her citizens.
A statement signed by the Director of Public Affairs of the NCC, Reuben Muoka, quoted Danbatta as saying that the telecom sector has been a key booster of the Nigerian economic activities, transforming the way people live and work as well as increasing efficiency in other sectors of the economy.
“From $500 million investments in the sector as of 2001, the telecommunications industry has recorded over $70 billion investment till date, while the growth in the sector has been phenomenal, from some 400,000 functional phone lines in 2001 to over 209 million active mobile subscriptions, achieving a teledensity of 110 percent, as at August 2022.
“The sector has provided over 500,000 formal and informal jobs for Nigerians. From an insignificant contribution to GDP in 2001, the the telecoms sector, as of the last quarter of 2021, contributed 12.61 percent to GDP, while the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector as a group, has also contributed 18.44 percent to GDP as at the second quarter of 2022,” the NCC’s boss said.
“For us as a country to reap the full benefits of all these emerging technologies in ways that further spur growth in our national economy, NCC prioritizes the need to improve and expand broadband infrastructure and the deployment of new technology such as the Fifth Generation of Mobile Communication (5G). Our efforts in diligently driving this will facilitate the actualization of the set targets in the Federal Government’s digital economy policy,” he said.
Danbatta stated that with the rapid digital transformation happening through the telecommunication sector, the country will be in a better position to create an alternate economy for diversification, innovation, and creativity in e-commerce and digital entrepreneurship, thus empowering a significant number of the populace to become self-reliant and self-employed.
