The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Professor Umar Danbatta has disclosed that the commission realised over N1.4 trillion in its operations in the first quarter of 2016.
Danbatta, who disclosed this yesterday in Kano when he paid a courtesy call on the state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, revealed that the generated fund was part of their contribution to the country’s gross domestic product, GDP.
He, however, stated that “multiple taxation, coupled with obstruction of right of way for development in states of the federation has been identified as the major challenge militating against the growth and development of telecom service providers in the country”.
The NCC boss urged the Kano governor to mobilize his counterparts in the 19 northern states to fashion out modalities of a downward review of the multiple taxation imposed on telecommunication industries in Nigeria.
He stated that he is in Kano to, among other things, draw the attention of the state government to the resolution of the National Economic Council, NEC, on multiple taxation, levies and charges on ICT infrastructure in Nigeria to which all state Governors accented to, which calls for urgent downward review.
Danbatta disclosed that Lagos state government has already commenced the full implementation of the provisions of these recommendations, which has become a model from which other states can borrow a leaf.
He emphasized that the resolution has ample provisions for addressing these challenges of multiple taxation and levies, including obstacles to right of way in which NCC observed that most agencies of state governments are either unaware of have failed to implement the provisions of NEC documents in their scheme of planning, implementation and service delivery.
The Executive Vice Chairman stated that about 40 million have been denied access to service delivery by operators, due to their formation impediments, which has made it difficult for service providers to deliver excellent and efficient services to their numerous subscribers.
He noted that the realization of these objectives will depend largely on the level of support and partnership that we are able to establish with critical stakeholders, like state governors in achieving the set objectives.
Danbatta also said that the issue of achieving broadband penetration target and associated benefits is of mutual benefits and importance to the telecom regulator, to the federal government, the citizens and particularly state governments, which would enhance their sources of revenue in various ways other than taxes and charges that are capable of driving away investments.
He emphasised that Nigeria was one of the fastest growing nations in the communication sector in the world.
His words, “Apart from providing home to the Zonal office of the Commission for the entire Northern part of the country in the last two decades, Kano is also host to one of the three major campuses of the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), a human capacity building institute established by the NCC in 2005.
“Today more than 78 million people in Nigeria have access to the Internet. And we are all witnesses to the level of growth of the use and application of the social media and Internet-related products and services.”
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