The House of Representatives launched an investigation into the state of Nigeria’s telecoms service delivery on Tuesday (9 May 2023). The Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, expressed worry over some sections of the nation not having access to mobile telecommunication services during the first public hearing on the subject held by the House Ad hoc Committee.
He stated that the House Committee is therefore looking into why the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) failed to encourage the wider availability and utilization of mobile cellular services countrywide. The committee is also looking into the expenses that have been incurred by the Universal Service Provision Fund since it was established as well as its overall accruals.
The Speaker pointed out that most rural communities lack access to the country’s major telecommunications industry, which is one of Africa’s largest and has a significant positive impact on the lives and economy of millions of Nigerians.
Gbajabiamila stated that the majority of telecommunications infrastructure is located in metropolitan areas.
“It is critical to note that it is not only people residing in urban areas that have the right to telecommunications, consideration should be extended to rural dwellers. The NCC, as the regulator, needs to ensure proactiveness in ensuring qualitative and efficient services are offered by the telecommunication operators.
“And each part of the country enjoys access to telecommunications, which is a necessity in today’s world, to be at par with developed nations. “This has become necessary because mobile telecommunications has grown to become vital to Nigeria’s economic development, as it provides the infrastructural backbone for the digital economy that drives development.”
According to Gbajabiamila, the NCC and other players in the sector must live up to expectations by ensuring that all Nigerians, not just some particular areas, receive effective and high-quality services.
Rep. Bamidele Salam (PDP-Osun), the committee’s chairman, stated earlier that the purpose of the meeting was to look into why mobile telecommunications coverage was not as complete as the NCC Act called for.
He claimed that the regulators’ current efforts to close the access gap, particularly in unserved and underserved areas, were of interest to the lawmakers. The committee will also look into the entire accruals made to the Universal Service Provision Fund as well as its outlays since it was established, according to the chairman.
“By the resolution of the house, the major stakeholders in this industry have been contacted and invited to come and make presentations in this hearing. We are hopeful that at the end of the three days set aside for this purpose, we will reach the main purpose of the committee.
“This industry is very critical to national development, security, and poverty alleviation, as seen in most economies around the world.
“Nigeria, as the largest democracy in Africa and the third largest in the world, cannot be seen as lagging behind in terms of leveraging on the opportunities available in this industry to advance the welfare of its citizens,” he said.
In Nigeria, there were 126 million active mobile subscribers as of February this year. The majority of the connected lines are located in big cities, nevertheless. Additionally, the NCC has acknowledged that more telecom infrastructure needs to be installed nationwide in order to overcome connectivity gaps in Nigeria.
