ATCON seeks involvement of native firms in FG’s 90,000km fibre venture 

The Affiliation of Telecommunications Firms of Nigeria (ATCON) has known as for the inclusion of native firms within the implementation of the federal authorities’s 90, 000-kilometre fibre venture.

The President of the Affiliation, Mr. Tony Emoekpere, made the decision throughout an interview with Nairametrics.

In line with him, involving native firms within the venture would assist to deepen native content material within the telecom trade and likewise function help for indigenous gamers within the trade.

“We’ve heard the federal government speak concerning the nationwide fiber-optic venture, by way of which they plan to deploy 90,000 kilometers.  

“We’re trying ahead to the actualization this yr and we are going to need the federal government to make sure that they contain native firms in that venture to help native content material,” he mentioned. 

Reducing the price of telecom companies 

The ATCON President added that permitting indigenous firms to take part in infrastructure initiatives would additionally assist to decrease the prices of companies within the telecom trade.

“We have to begin methods to decrease a number of the prices of telecom companies and the extra we localize issues just like the manufacturing of some gear, the higher for trade,” Emoekpere said.   

• Emoekpere mentioned the trade gamers are additionally trying ahead to a assessment of the telecom tariff this yr, including that this is able to handle lots of points within the nation.
• In line with him, the Nigerian telecom sector has lots of potential for development this yr. He, nonetheless, famous that the expansion might solely be realised by way of the implementation of the proper insurance policies, together with the tariff assessment.
• He added that the assessment of the tariff would make the trade extra enticing and entice extra investments.

What you must know 

The Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Financial system, Dr. Bosun Tijani, in Might final yr introduced the approval of a Particular Function Car (SPV) by the Federal Government Council (FEC) to deploy 90,000 kilometers of fibre optic cable throughout the nation.

With help from the World Bank and the federal authorities’s 50% funding by way of loans, the venture is anticipated to kick off this yr.

In line with the Minister, the federal government can be working with companions and stakeholders from the federal government and personal sector to construct the extra fibre optic protection required to take Nigeria’s connectivity spine to a minimal of 125,000km.

• He added that that venture would additionally assist in rising web penetration in Nigeria to over 70% and cut back the price of entry to the web by over 60%.
• By way of the venture, Tijani mentioned Nigeria would obtain the inclusion of no less than 50% of the 33 million Nigerians at present excluded from entry to the web and can be anticipated to ship as much as 1.5% of GDP development per capita elevating GDP from $472.6 billion (2022) to $502 billion over the following 4 years.