|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Increased access coverage in rural areas could push Nigeria’s telecommunication sector’s annual contribution to GDP to a little above 10 percent, the Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Umar Danbatta has said.
Danbatta said this on Wednesday, in Abuja, when he received a delegation of the Nigerian head of Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA), led by Tom Isibor to seek NCC’s support.
About 40million Nigerians were said to make up a substantial rural part of the country and lack telecommunications access, resulting in a decrease of the telecommunications sector’s contribution to the GDP.
These gaps, Danbatta noted have though reduced from 207 to 193 and from 40million Nigerians lacking access to 33,000 through the deployment of universal service provision fund and rural technology solutions.
“We know the gaps exist and we are doing something about them by bridging the gap at an average of about 10 per annum. To us that is not fast enough because it would be taking us 20years to bridge all the gaps, so we are thinking of deploying rural technology solutions that will bridge the gap in shorter period of time.
“The gaps through the present intervention of the NCC courtesy of the Universal service provision fund has come down to 193 from 207, which is why the number of Nigerians without access to telecommunications service from 40million to about 33million.
“The more access means the more contribution to GDP, but the less access means, the lower the contribution to GDP, but with a better and wider access coverage, the contributions of telecoms to GDP will go from 9% to a little over 10%,” said Danbatta
On the visit of the ACCA, the Vice Chairman said the NCC has a segment for strategic collaboration and partnership in its agenda and would give the necessary support to the ACCA, adding that the NCC’s collaboration with the ACCA will not only enhance its financial integrity, but would also put it at the forefront of other governmental and non-governmental organizations.
“Recall on our agenda, we have a segment on strategic collaboration and partnership. ACCA today came to offer partnership consistent in that aspect of our agenda and also adding to the improvement of the integrity of our services,” he said.
Earlier speaking, Tom Isibor, head of ACCA Nigeria said the NCC is an Iconic organisation owing to its level of service and communication infrastructure with a need to improve upon its financial and business plan.
“We are recognizing and also partnering with them in capacity and development of member of staff and also in assisting their organization in delivering key business plans.
“Our partnership is in recognition of the integrity Executive vice chairman, and we are also recognizing the leadership of the organizatiom because without leadership, the organization is not going to move very far at all.
“Another one is that the NCC as an organization has the approved employers’ scheme which confers it some benefits with the ACCA and also enables it to have partnership with the ACCA as well to ensure that the finance department of NCC is well developed.
“In terms of strategic partnership, NCC is very massive in terms of research and also in terms of collaboration, building joint business planning meaning NCC has a better and more effective regulatory body in the telecommunications space,” said Tom.
Oyin Aminu, Abuja
