70% broadband target: New NCC boss, Maida, to review botched InfraCo project

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, has announced his intention to review the stalled Infrastructure Company (InfraCo) licensing project, a venture initiated under the leadership of his predecessor, Prof. Umar Danbatta. This announcement came during Dr. Maida's inaugural meeting with the CEOs of telecom companies in Lagos, following his recent confirmation by the Senate.

The primary objective of the InfraCo project, as highlighted by Dr. Maida, is to deepen broadband penetration in Nigeria. With the National Broadband Policy (NNBP 2020-2025) targeting 70% broadband penetration by 2025, the NCC recognizes the urgency to expedite progress. As of August this year, the country's broadband penetration stood at 45.57%.

Dr. Maida's Statement:

"A lot has been done with the Infrastructure Company (InfraCo) licensing. We just have to re-imagine, look at it again, and see whether that is the right approach and re-imagine how we approach it. We now need to start getting into the States, and perhaps we might need to sit down and see how we can do that differently. Again, on the broadband issue, we need to increase the investment."

Quality of Service (QoS) Non-Negotiable:

Dr. Maida emphasized the non-negotiable nature of the quality of service in the telecommunications sector. He urged industry collaboration to ensure that high-quality service delivery remains a priority. Acknowledging the sector's crucial role as an enabler of Nigeria’s digital economy, he stressed the need for the industry to collectively deliver value to customers.

"People actually expect telecom services to work. I don’t think they really appreciate what it takes to deliver these services. So, it has come to a stage where they just see telecom service as a utility like water and electricity. Like a social service, it needs to work. We need to really come together in the industry and deliver value to the customer."

Compliance and Benchmarking:

Dr. Maida highlighted the importance of compliance with industry regulations and standards. He expressed his commitment to focusing on compliance, emphasizing that the sector should set the benchmark for excellence.

"When it comes to compliance, this is an area where we are going to be placing a lot more focus, and things are going to be a lot more urgent. I am not going to be asking for compliance after the fact. That is going to be a very key area of focus for me. So, we owe it to ourselves to benchmark ourselves against the best, not against other sectors. We have to just take ourselves as setting the benchmark for every person else. So, let people compare and say we have to be as good as telecom."

InfraCo Debacle:

Under Prof. Umar Danbatta's leadership, the NCC initiated the InfraCo project to accelerate infrastructure rollout across the country. However, the project faced challenges, with seven licensed companies struggling to meet their obligations. The NCC, under Dr. Maida, plans to reevaluate the InfraCo project to enhance its effectiveness and address the bottlenecks in infrastructure deployment.