FG to deploy 5G network soon, 90% ready to unbundle NIPOST – Pantami

*Says ICT generated over N1trn for Nigeria in two years

The Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy says it will soon deploy the Five Generation network (5G) in Nigeria for increased connectivity.

This is even as the ministry said it is 90 per cent ready to unbundle the Nigerian Postal Services (NIPOST).

Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, disclosed these in Abuja when he featured on Forum, a special News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) interview programme.

The minister said that the decision to deploy the 5G network followed an outcome of thorough investigations, research and trial absolving it of posing security or health threat.

According to him, the work on the national policy on 5G stands at 95 per cent done and will be presented to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in due course.

Pantami, who said that the primary concern of government was to ensure security and welfare of Nigerians in their utilisation of services in the telecommunications sector, blamed the delay in the deployment of the 5G network on conspiracy theories.

NAN recalls that there were concerns that COVID-19 was associated with the deployment of the 5G communications network.

“Our government is a listening one; so we listen to constructive criticisms, respect it and appreciate it and at least we value it.

“We’d reached advanced stage of 5G, then, an issue came up that 5G was related to COVID-19; many people including the educated ones started circulating it without verification.

“Naturally, people are a bit scared and sceptical about technology.

“So we gave enough time to do more consultation, creating awareness in local languages so as to engage our citizens to address all the challenges.

“We set up a technical team that accommodated security, health and environmental institutions and the public sector so that we can be on the same page.

“I want to give you the assurance that 5G communication network is in the pipeline.”

Pantami said that the ministry had started discussions with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) concerning spectrum for commercial purposes.

“From that spectrum, NCC will give it to mobile operators to start deployment; so, the policy is almost ready.

“I went to the National Assembly, I defended our presentation and they have accepted and they have also endorsed the deployment of 5G.

“They have also encouraged us to learn from other countries that have deployed 5G and we have already done that.

“The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a statement that there is no relationship between 5G network and COVID-19 and that addresses the health issue.

“Similarly, the International Communications Union (ICU), which is an arm of the UN, also issued another statement debunking any implications from the 5G,” Pantami said.

While declaring that the ministry is 90 per cent ready to unbundle the Nigerian Postal Services (NIPOST), Pantami said that the agency’s more than 2,000 property nationwide would be deployed to money spinning ventures.

He said that property and development, logistics, courier and a micro finance company were among the forthcoming ventures.

According to him, all assets of NIPOST scattered all over the country would be fully utilised to maximise revenue generation for the emerging business enterprises.

NAN reports that the Minister had on August 3, hinted that the Federal Government would soon unveil policies to unbundle NIPOST into property and development, logistics, courier and a micro finance company.

Pantami said that NIPOST had over 2,300 property scattered across the country with most of them decapitated and underutilised.

“NIPOST has over 2,300 properties in this country and you will discover it has property in some selected areas that are highly prestigious in Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kaduna, Kano and all of them are decapitated,’’ he said.

According to him, some of the property have been there for over 30 years without proper utilisation.

“So, the wisdom is to establish some companies like Property and Development Company that will work under NIPOST.’’

The Minister said the property enterprise would develop the dilapidated property, with some in partnership with the government, so that it would be able to put them into good use and generate something.

He also said the unbundling of NIPOST had reached advanced stages, with almost 90% work done.

“We have reached advanced stages of unbundling, most probably almost 90 per cent work done now.

“We will come up with NIPOST Microfinance Bank. We can use all our offices where there are no banks even in rural areas and they can serve as banks.

“We also propose to have transport and Logistics Company; most probably we are considering the ability of coming up with a NIPOST courier company as well,’’ he said.

He noted that NIPOST unbundling would lead to increased employment and revenue generation for the government.

The minister at the forum also disclosed the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector of the economy remitted over N1 trillion to Federal Government account within two years, just as assured that ICT sector will increase its contributions to the country’s revenue, to boost the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The minister, who emphasised the importance of ICT to the growth of the country’s economy, noted that ICT remained the fastest growing industry and that it was critical to driving infrastructure development.

NAN recalls that the ICT sector had contributed 14.7 per cent to Nigeria’s GDP in 2020.

According to the minister, the country should expect more contributions, given the potential of the industry.

“Look at the statistics released by the National Bureau of Statistics in Q1 of 2021 and we are yet to see Q2; they said that the fastest growing sector is the ICT sector.

“Throughout 2020, the fastest-growing sector is the ICT sector.

“Mr President said that the ICT sector played the principal role of lifting Nigeria out of recession.

“If you look at the remittance of the sector to the Federal Government account, it is unprecedented.

“Without the ICT sector, sometimes government will struggle to pay salary.

“As it is, within the two years I spent in office, the remittance of ICT sector to the Federal Government account is over N1 trillion; this is unprecedented.

“Through spectrum sale from National Frequency Management Council assigned to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), within two years, we remitted over N358billion.

“The earnings of small mobile operators that we remitted to the Federal Government, through Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), is over N601billion.

“Through capacity building and other government expenditure within the sector, the sector generated over N90billion.”

He said the three examples alone amounted to over N1trillion.

“So, look at even the budget of government, how much is being generated?

“This is what we have done and if you look at our budget, sometimes, it is not up to N5 billion because we generate and give to others to spend.

“Sometimes, we don’t even have N5 billion including our personnel throughout the year.

“We only generate and give it to government for infrastructure-rail, transport, social intervention, works and housing, power and health.

“We generate and remit; we increased the generation by over 500 per cent by the time I took over,” Pantami said.