The Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy says with the approval of the 5G national policy, which was a product of extensive and wide consultation, the next big task ahead of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC is to begin immediate implementation to push forward the country’s march to increased digital transformation of the economy.
The Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, disclosed this while addressing a delegation from the NCC led by the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta in Abuja.
The minister said that the decision to deploy the 5G network followed an outcome of thorough investigations, research and trial absolving it of posing security or health threat. He therefor charged the Commission to prepare for immediate and effective implementation of the policy to accelerate economic growth.
Mr. Pantami, who said that the primary concern of the Government was to ensure the security and welfare of Nigerians in their utilisation of services in the telecommunications sector, blamed the delay in the deployment of the 5G network on conspiracy theories.
insightnaijatv.com recalls that there were concerns that COVID-19 was associated with the deployment of the 5G communications network.
“We’d reached advanced stage of 5G, then, an issue came up that 5G was related to COVID-19; many people including the educated ones started circulating it without verification.
The Minister, while commending the NCC said the recent launch of its Strategic Vision (Implementation) Plan (SVP) 2021-2025, would be a veritable vehicle to give the needed impetus to the implementation of the 5G plan.
He insisted that the Commission is expected to give needs push to ensure total implementation of the SVP and charged it to have a timeline and ensure to deliver on them.
His words: ‘‘Developing the Vision Plan is commendable but ensuring diligent implementation is even more important. So, the EVC should commit to total implementation of the SVP. As a digital communication channel, “I see it as important because we need more sensitisation. We need to reach out to citizens and create awareness about our regulatory activities, change certain perceptions and counter some conspiracy theories against technologies and many more. The podcast is one of the best ways we would be able to achieve this,” he said.
