The Nigerian Communication Commission’s (NCC’s) Executive Chairman, Umar Danbatta, has revealed that the number of 5G mobile subscriptions in the country has exceeded half a million. He added that broadband penetration is set to reach 50% by the end of this year, while looking further ahead the government has set a national target of 70% by 2025. Market leader MTN Nigeria became the country’s first 5G mobile provider with the launch of commercial services in September last year, followed by Mafab at the start of this year and most recently Airtel Nigeria in June.
‘While we acknowledge the challenges encountered by the industry, we have also witnessed explosive growth, improved regulatory standards, and digital innovations that have garnered global recognition,’ Danbatta said, adding: ‘Other milestones and initiatives recorded aside the regulatory activities that culminated in the landmark launch of 5G services in Nigeria include the introduction of Spectrum Trading Guidelines, refarming and replanning certain spectrum bands for efficiency, the emplaced collaborative process for the release of C-band spectrum by NIGCOMSAT, and the introduction of the Expanded Revenue Assurance Solution (ERAS) to address revenue leakages and improve government revenue from the telecoms industry.’ He added that although the industry still faces a number of challenges – such as vandalism, securing equitable Right of Way (RoW) from governmental stakeholders, and multiple taxation and regulation – the NCC has put a framework in place to work with the industry to overcome these issues and sustain the market’s growth trajectory.