AIW: NCC Commends Anambra for Waiving Right-of-Way Charges for Telecom Companies
ICT News
By Tony Okafor, Awka
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has commended the Anambra State Government for waiving right-of-way charges for telecom companies, a move that will lower barriers to broadband infrastructure deployment.
Dr. Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, made this commendation on Wednesday during the Anambra Innovation Week (AIW) at the International Conference Centre in Awka, Anambra State Capital.
According to Dr. Maida, the NCC is committed to driving a transformative agenda and catalyzing innovation that will shape Nigeria’s technology landscape.
“The Commission is implementing the Nigeria Broadband plan, which aims to extend broadband and its services to all parts of the state, providing fast and affordable network services,” Maida said
The NCC boss also revealed that the commission recorded 366 incidents disrupting network services in Anambra State alone, between January and October 2024.
Out of these incidents, 130 were due to theft and vandalism, while 236 involved operators being denied access to tower sites.
Dr. Maida emphasized that each of these incidents had the potential to disrupt services and could cost lives.
He recalled President Bola Tinubu’s recent landmark presidential order designating telecom infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII), highlighting the vital role telecoms assets play as the backbone of the nation’s digital economy.
Dr. Maida appealed to state governments, including Anambra State, to support the initiative to protect telecoms infrastructure.
Anambra State has been commended for its efforts to drive broadband expansion, with stakeholders in the telecommunication sector hailing the state government’s decision to waive right-of-way charges for telecom operators.
