The federal government has announced proactive measures to tackle the challenges threatening the sustainability of Nigeria’s telecom sector, aiming to ensure robust connectivity for all Nigerians.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, made this declaration while receiving an interim report on the sustainability of Nigeria’s telecom sector from KPMG.
This report is expected to provide crucial recommendations regarding the ongoing discussions about tariff reviews, which telecom operators argue are essential for the industry’s survival under the current tariff structure.
The minister, who lauded the interim report via his X handle on Wednesday, also emphasised the government’s commitment to balancing the sustainability of the telecom sector with the need for meaningful connectivity for Nigerians.
He said: “Today, I welcomed consultants from KPMG Nigeria and SimmonsCooper Partners as they shared an interim report on the sustainability of Nigeria’s telecom sector.
“As a government, we are working to find a balance between the sustainability of the sector and ensuring the availability of meaningful connectivity for our people.
“This report is part of our commitment to ensure that we achieve our goal of providing internet access as a human right for all.”
Earlier, while speaking on an Arise TV programme, the minister stated that the government is exploring medium- to long-term solutions in response to the telecom operators’ requests for tariff increases.
According to him, the KPMG study aims to identify sustainability issues within the telecom sector and outline the necessary government support for the industry.
He noted that beyond the push for tariff increases, there are numerous other challenges that require governmental attention, which prompted the study’s initiation.
According to him, “Beyond just the conversation that has been out there about increasing tariffs, which is what everybody is talking about, we think, yes, there may be a need for it, but there are so many other things that we need to do as a country to ensure that that sector is competitive.
“And beyond just supporting them to be competitive, the government must also invest in digital infrastructure as well.”
