• Pantami, Danbatta, Others  To Highlight Webinar To Advance Broadband Target, Loft Digital Economy

By Emmanuel Oluebube, Correspondent UK

The UK Prosperity Fund’s Digital Access Programme and Greenfields Law, in conjunction  with the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) are set to host a National Technical Conference on Right of Way(RoW) and Site Build Permitting.

Cyber Era understands that the Technical Conference is part of the UK Government’s Technical Assistance package in advancing policy and regulatory reforms on Right of Way with the aim of promoting inclusive and sustainable digital access in the country.

At the virtual conference which scheduled to hold  August 13, 2020, the findings and recommendations from a technical study on Effective Right of Way  Administration and Issuance of Planning Permits for Masts and Towers  for instituting reforms by state governments and other agencies of government commissioned  under the UK Government Prosperity Fund’s Digital Access Programme and undertaken by Greenfields Law ,will be presented to stakeholders.

Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Professor Umar Garba Danbatta,  state governors and chief executive officers of telecommunications companies are among the stakeholders expected to participate at the technical conference.

According to the managing counsel of Greenfields Law and a leading telecommunications policy, law and regulation practitioner, Osondu C. Nwokoro “the study consulted widely, obtained and processed information from virtually all segments of the telecommunications industry including service providers, policy advocacy groups,  consumer associations, relevant agencies and officials of state governments across the six geo-political zones while also noting best practices around right of way and site build permitting in other countries.” 

From this process, Nwokoro said, the study developed  pragmatic policy, legal and regulatory right of way and site build processes which would be recommended  at the conference for  adoption at all levels of government, to address the long-standing problems around right of way and site build permitting in Nigeria, thereby facilitating digital access and consequently the attainment of the targets of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy, 2019 as well as the National Broadband Plan, 2020-2025.