The Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) says it has concluded plans to embark on an evaluation of the Nigerian telecommunications industry.
The Executive Secretary of the association, Mr Ajibola Olude, said on Tuesday that the evaluation was expected to cover between 2015 and 2019.
“Pursuant to ATCON mandate to continuously advocate for the development of the Nigerian telecommunications industry through research and innovation and pro-active engagement of both the regulators and operators in the industry.
“It is important that we emphasise the fact that the Nigerian telecommunications sector has gone through a lot of structural changes since it was liberalised many years ago.
“As a forward looking and proactive association in this space, our association prides itself with the protection of the investment already made.
“While we are working very hard to further increase the level of investment that is attracted to the industry through research and development,” he said in a statement.
He said that meanwhile, the National Executive Council had concluded plans to embark on an evaluation of the Nigerian telecoms industry.
Olude said some of the principal reasons that informed the evaluation of the Nigerian industry were to showcase policy improvements and innovations during the period under review and its attendant results.
He also said it was to understudy the sector viz-a-viz, challenges limiting the growth and development of the sector in the period under review and make concerted efforts toward proffering sustainable solutions to all identified challenges.
Olude added that other reasons were to work toward attaining the newly set broadband target, to encourage further local and foreign investment in the sector by demonstrating untapped opportunities in the sector.
The scribe said that the proposed strategic industry evaluation by ATCON was expected to centre on areas such as contribution of regulators to broadband penetration, through enabling policies and the holistic review of the regulatory environment.
Other proposed strategic areas include: operators contribution through sponsored infrastructure, structure of investment in the sector and exploration of alternative funding.
Although socio-economic impact of the sector included but not limited to the following areas; job creation, agriculture, youth development, education, security, banking and financial inclusion.
“This very important book is meant to validate and give credit to how vital the telecoms and ICT sector are to the Nigerian economy,” he said.
Olude said the book was planned to be launched during the Global System for Mobile Communications, (GSMA) World Congress 2020, in Barcelona, Spain and afterwards in Nigeria.
