The Nigerian telecom sector’s contribution to the Gross Domestic Product, GDP is now N2 trillion. This represents 9.5 percent of the nation’s GDP.
Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Mr. Adebayo Shittu, disclosed this at a Valedictory Press Conference in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
The Minister who used the occasion to reel out his achievements in the last three and half years put the total foreign direct investments to the sector at $1.73billion.
He further explained that the sector, under his watch, has achieved 14 percent increase in tele density, rising from 108 percent in 2015 to 123 percent in 2018.
On mobile penetration, he said the nation’s mobile penetration rate has moved up from 83 percent to 84 percent.
Similarly, the Minister noted that the nation now boasts of 53 percent as against 45 percent recorded in 2015 through the robust regulation and leadership he provided in the sector.
In his remarks, the Executive Vice-Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, said the commission has succeeded in compelling MTN is listed into the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE through its focused and firm regulation:
‘‘We have succeeded in empowering Nigerians to own, control and manage one of the dominant telecommunication company in the country by MTN listing in the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).’’
The EVC added that the sector, as part of its development strides, has expanded the data usage to 85 terabytes, an indication of exponential growth over the last three and half years of the present administration.
On broadband deployment, the NCC boss reiterated the resolve of his leadership to achieve the 70 percent penetration by 2023 through the licensing of the seven Infrastructure companies in the six geo-political zones of the country and Lagos as a region.
“We are poised to drive broadband penetration with 120,000 kilometres target by 2023 through the licensed seven Infracos,’’ he assured.
In his own remarks, the Director-General of National Information Technology Development Agency-NITDA, Dr. Isa Ibrahim Pantami, assured the Minister that the sector is going to build on the legacies he is leaving behind, adding that a lot has been achieved in the sector, especially the contribution to the GDP and improvement in service delivery and regulation.
On his part, the Post Master-General of the Nigerian Postal Services, NIPOST, Barr. Bisi Ade, eulogized the Minister for being a strong pillar to the ministry and its agencies during his time, assuring that the agency will continue to explore new technologies to return the agency back to the state of reckoning.
‘‘We have leveraged on existing technologies to reform the NIPOST. We are committed to deploying these technologies to reach every part of the country with postal services and to outside the country,’’ he said.
