The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta has urged international telecom companies and investors to tap into Nigeria’s telecom sector, specifically in broadband infrastructure development, leveraging the country’s population of over 200 million people. Speaking at GITEX 2023 in Marrakesh, Morocco, he highlighted Nigeria’s stable political and economic environment as an attractive investment opportunity.
In alignment with the same viewpoint, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State and Nigeria’s Ambassador to Morocco, Mansur Bamalli, lauded the Commission for its effective regulatory efforts, positioning Nigeria as a promising investment hub in Africa
At the conference, Danbatta, represented by the Team Lead, Nigeria Office for Developing the Indigenous Telecom Sector (NODITS), Babagana Digima, emphasized the NCC’s role in facilitating Nigeria’s telecom industry development and attracting foreign investors to contribute to economic growth.
He highlighted the government’s support for the industry, citing impressive figures such as over 220 million active mobile voice subscriptions and 150 million Internet subscriptions. Despite these numbers, the country has yet to achieve full connectivity. He stated the national goal of reaching 70% broadband penetration by 2025 and emphasized the need for increased investment in infrastructure deployment in Nigeria’s telecom sector.
Highlighting the telecom sector’s contribution to Nigeria’s GDP and the growth of the digital economy, Danbatta emphasized the importance of the event in showcasing the NCC as a leading regulator in Africa. He expressed the Commission’s aim to attract investments that will advance the Nigerian telecom industry.
Danbatta also emphasized the abundance of talented human resources in Nigeria that can support investors’ business operations and contribute to global technological advancements. Additionally, the NCC sponsored three indigenous start-ups to showcase their solutions and seek potential partnerships at the event
GITEX Africa 2023 marked the inaugural GITEX Global Summit in Africa, positioning itself as a prominent forum to showcase the immense possibilities of the tech-powered digital economy in the continent. As an international platform, it brings together participants from the public and private sectors, focusing on state-of-the-art technology.
