Danbatta Says PPP Model Best Suitable For Telecom Sector To Enhance National Growth
The Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Professor Umar Danbatta, has said that the Public Private Partnership (PPP), strategy adopted by the Federal Government to address the nation’s infrastructure deficit would be best suitable for the telecommunications sector to facilitate economic growth across the board.
Danbatta articulated his position at the 2021 virtual conference and exhibition on Information Communication and Telecommunication which started on Tuesday and will end on Wednesday.
The NCC boss was lead speaker at the event, organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI.
Danbatta explained that his assertion was based on the significance of the sector to the growth of others and by extension, the development of the country.
“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, if the telecom and ICT sector is the real ‘Infrastructure of infrastructure’ as it is often referred to because of its impact, efficiency and effectiveness on the growth of other sectors, it stands to reason, that the telecom sector is the most important sphere PPP should be adopted. Interestingly, a 2012 World Bank report already documented how public-private partnership (PPP) projects have been used to provide broadband access nationally, regionally, or in rural areas to improve broadband access to unserved and underserved locations,”he said.
He pointed out that the concept of Public Private Partnership had become one of the commonly used model of collaboration among stakeholders to fast track socio-economic development whether at the global, regional and national levels.
He added that it would not be wrong to conclude that public private partnership was very important to infrastructure development in Nigeria because an adequate, robust and functioning infrastructure was the bedrock of communal and societal development.
“Therefore, to meet future challenges, our industries and infrastructure must be upgraded by evolving an enduring PPP model that services all the sectors of the economy.
“Objectively, the high level of infrastructure deficit and its attendant effect on socio-economic development in Nigeria explains government’s concern and search for an alternative means of providing infrastructure for the Nigeria’s teeming population,” Danbatta said.
He stressed that NCC was noted for its fervour and faith in strategic collaboration and partnership as a central principle of its stakeholders’ relationship management and regulatory activities.
He pointed out: “Our daily regulatory processes are marked by consultations with a wide spectra of stakeholders as well as strategic partnering and collaboration with both private sector players and other sister public sector organisations…
“Besides, the NCC is renowned for its tradition of engaging in robust stakeholder consultation on the development of its various regulations and policy initiatives. The Commission consistently engages private sector organisations, in clear expression of its PPP philosophy, to carry out specific tasks, notably, in carrying out cost-based studies, whose outcomes have been used by the Commission to improve regulations and policy decision that have far-reaching positive implications on the economy.
“The Commission has also engaged in a number of PPP engagement through such initiatives as Industry Consumer Advisory Forum (ICAF), a multi-sectoral committee of private and public sector institutions whose collaboration with the commission has bolstered Commission’s determination to continually improve on all principles of protection of telecoms consumers from an array of service challenges as well as incidences of frauds and other associated risks of online transactions.”
Concluding, Danbatta called on speakers at the occasion to suggest better and more innovative PPP approaches that might be explored by the government towards making the telecoms infrastructure safer, more resilient, more robust, and to attract more investment into the sector.
He added: “I will like to reiterate that the Commission is committed to continuously engaging relevant stakeholders, both in the public and private sectors, in the country and beyond, in order to ensure that appropriate infrastructure befitting a modern digital economic system is available in the country to deepen government’s determination and commitment to total digital transformation of services in the country.”
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