Tinubu begs telcos to give educational platforms unhindered connectivity access

President Tinubu has begged telecommunications operators, telcos in the country to give unhindered connectivity access to educational institutions and other platforms of learning in the country, reminding them that connectivity is the right of every Nigeria citizen.

The President said he observed that in the telcos’ business, commercial considerations mostly determine how they deploy services, resulting in why most of those educational environments which obviously have less commercial attraction, are rarely adequately connected.

He however reminded the telcos that digital inclusion should not be constrained by short-term commercial logic.

Tinubu spoke Thursday, in Lagos, through the new Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC Board, Mr Idris Olorunnimbe.

The NCC Board Chair who received a delegation of Telecom operators in Nigeria, led by the Chairman of the Association of Telecom operators in Nigeria, ALTON, Engr Gbenga Adebayo, said the appeal was a direct one from Mr President.

Olorunnimbe said that Mr President, urged operators to consider zero-rated access for educational platforms and the digital creative industry considering their importance in shaping the future of tomorrow’s leaders and the employment opportunities they generate.

He said: “Please do not view such investments as revenue loss, but as deferred profit. When young Nigerians gain access to digital learning, their earning capacity increases. The economy benefits. Revenue returns in broader form,” he said.

For him, service expansion to underserved areas should be seen as a national obligation.

“Connectivity is not just corporate social responsibility. Every Nigerian has the right to access. Commercial considerations matter, but they should not always be the first filter,” he added.

He also appealed that telcos should give priority to the creative industry, to tackle youth unemployment in the country.

Earlier, the telcos who were making their first visit to the NCC chair at the Commission’s Lagos office in Ikoyi, praised the proactive actions of the commission in seeing that the over N300bn USSD debt the banks owed the telcos were finally paid. They also commended the commission for seeing to a marginal adjustment to their tariff plan which has eventually spurred businesses and attracted huge investments.
However, like Oliver twist, the telcos challenged the new board chair to ensure government’s reacts positively to many intractable challenged bedeviling their operations, including incessant fibre cuts, mostly by government contractors, arbitrary and fragmented Right of Way charges among states which has slowed broadband spread, regulatory capture, which stiffles the NCC from using regulatory prescriptions to solve industry problems, among others.
Acknowledging their complaints, Olorunnimbe said both the regulator and the regulated seriously need to collaborate.

He said: “Yes, we are regulator and the regulated, but more importantly, we are partners in building a resilient digital economy.
“What I can promise you is that my door will remain open for structured engagement. Disagreements may arise, but they must be resolved through dialogue, data and mutual respect.

“This sector has come through a difficult phase. Stabilisation has begun. Confidence is returning. Our task now is to protect the gains, deepen investment and ensure that Nigeria’s telecom ecosystem becomes a benchmark for the continent,” he stated.

Responding to the issues of fibre cuts and enforcement of the Critical National Infrastructure, CNI Act, which protects Telecom facilities, Olorunnimbe said: “If networks go down, everything stops. Commerce pauses. Communication halts. Education suffers. Healthcare systems struggle. That is why accountability must be non-negotiable.

“So, now, we are going to ensure that If a contractor damages telecom infrastructure, work must stop and repairs must be made before proceeding,”

The Commission will escalate enforcement discussions with sub-national governments and the presidency to ensure that Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) protections translate into practical safeguards.

“Critical National Infrastructure must not remain a title on paper, it must translate into protection, into enforcement, and into consequences. Where infrastructure is damaged negligently or deliberately, responsibility must be fixed clearly and swiftly,” he added.

Culled from vanguard