Following the slow pace of issuance of permits to companies operating in the digital infrastructure sector, President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, directed the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy; Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Ministry of Environment to align regulations and tax frameworks to facilitate investment expansion in telecommunications and broadband infrastructure nationwide.
He gave the order at a meeting with a delegation from American Tower Corporation (ATC) Nigeria in Abuja. Chief Executive Officer of ATC Africa, Marek Busfy, had expressed ATC Nigeria’s commitment to expanding its investments in the country, which have already surpassed $2.19 billion since the commencement of its Nigerian operations in 2015.
Busfy emphasised ATC’s commitment to delivering value to subscribers while reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with its operations. Responding, President Tinubu commended ATC Nigeria for its significant contributions and investments in the country’s ICT sector, highlighting the importance of innovative solutions to bridge the digital divide.
The President lauded ongoing efforts of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy to promote digital connectivity across the nation, particularly the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme that functions to upskill three million Nigerian youths in digital literacy and innovation through innovation incubators nationwide.
Tinubu outlined ongoing initiatives to establish broadband connectivity in all 774 local council secretariats within six months, leveraging existing infrastructure such as NIGCOMSAT and Galaxy Backbone’s fibre optic network.
His words: “In the area of ease of doing business, no nation can make progress without paying attention to the opportunities that are right in front of them. We have a vibrant youth population that has successfully innovated without much government support. What now happens in this era when we are providing massive support to their digital economic activities? They will do very well. You are investing in the right place at the right time.
“Considering our population and land mass, we need your investments to ensure that we are ready for a higher level of digital penetration in the telecommunications sector and the specific type of digital education that is needed in the competitive and knowledge-based global economy of the 21st Century.”
Addressing concerns raised by the delegation regarding the ease of doing business in Nigeria, the President assured them of his administration’s commitment to implementing reforms that eliminate bureaucratic constraints.
In his remarks, CEO of ATC Africa reiterated the company’s readiness to invest further in Nigeria’s ICT infrastructure to meet the market’s growing demand for data, while lauding the clarity of strategy demonstrated by the administration, particularly praising the roadmap and efforts of the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani.
He said: “Mr President, what has struck me in Nigeria is the clarity of strategy by your administration, particularly in the ICT sector, and the administration’s 3MTT programme. In the last years, we have invested over $200 million in growing our infrastructure in Nigeria, and we are ready to do significantly more.”
