Executive
Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof.
Garba Danbatta, disclosed in Abuja, yesterday, that the telecoms sector
contributed a whopping N1.549 trillion to the Gross Domestic Product
(GDP)...
of the economy in the second quarter of 2017, representing 6.68
per cent increase from what was recorded in the first quarter of the
year (N1.452 trillion).
He revealed this while receiving the
Chairperson of Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA), Madam
Angelique Weeks, who paid him a courtesy visit.
Danbatta said the figures were derived
from recently released Bureau of Statistics’ (NBSs’) report on the
economy. The NBS report confirmed that the telecommunications
sector contributed 9.5 per cent to the GDP during the second quarter of
2017, in comparison to 9.1 per cent contribution in the first quarter
of the year.
Said he: “We are very proud of the
remarkable contribution the sector is making. Even recently when the
whole economy was facing challenges, the sector remained resilient and
stable,” he told the visitor who was accompanied by a team of
administrators from West Africa Telecommunication Regulators Association
(WATRA).
The EVC also explained that the
commission has noticed an increase in data usage in the country, saying,
“the monthly data usage is about 40 million terabytes.”
He, however, expressed optimism that the
country would undergo a massive ICT transformation by the time the
excess data capacity at landing point in Lagos is deployed to the
hinterland through licensing of infracos (infrastructure companies).
Danbatta further stated that the
broadband penetration in the country, which currently stands at 21 per
cent as Nigeria is inching toward 30 per cent penetration next year, is
in line with its national broadband target.
He said the commission has approved
spectrum trading consistent with an item of the eight-point agenda,
optimising the use and benefits of spectrum, to ensure that no acquired
spectrum is left unutilised.
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