https://www.vanguardngr.com/2024/01/nigeria-why-south-east-zones-low-on-telecom-devt/amp/


By Juliet Umeh

South Eastern part of Nigeria continues to lag behind in telecom development.


At least, recent data statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics confirmed so.


The Bureau said that in terms of telecommunications development and broadband penetration, the region with five states including Abia, Anambra, Imo, Enugu and Ebonyi, took last in the third quarter of 2023.

In the active voice subscription per zone, NBS disclosed that North Central had 38,470,115, North West – 40,020,788, North East – 26,379,334, South West – 67,585,980, South-South was 26, 924,411 while South East had 22,389,255.

Also on active internet subscription, North Central – 27,813,199, North West – 28,687,940, North East – 18,931,895, South West- 47,559,081, and South-South – 20,002,645 and South East was 15,967,753.

But, this is not even surprising. It has remained the trend over the years.

For instance, in Q1 2022, active voice subscription per zone, North Central – 37,429,197, North West – 37,329,859, North East – 19,379,078, South East – 19,569,496, South West – 56,606,404

South-South – 29, 241, 597.

Also, active internet subscription per zone in Q1 2022 were as follows: North central – 27, 476,820, North West – 26,912,492, North East – 14,142,290, South East- 13,982,821, South West- 41,988,986 and South-South – 21,059,374
The trend is also the same in 2021.


According to NBS, internet usage in Nigeria in quarter 04, 2021 South Eastern Nigeria recorded 13.7 million users, which is the lowest among the states, except North East.


NBS data shows that in the quarter under review, South West region has the highest online users with 41.7 million followed by North Central with 26.6, North West has 25.4 users.

Others are South-South which has 20.8 million internet users and troubled North East which has 13.8 million.
However, many variables are contributing to this poor outcome.

Industry experts and technology analysts are of the opinion that inability of the state governors in the region to eliminate bottlenecks hindering digital access is responsible.

Chief among the issues is the high right of way, RoW charges.


They also said that high population and low business interest also play a big role in the low data for the zone.

Right of Way charge is a levy paid by telecommunication companies to state governments, permitting telecommunication companies to dig up the roads and install telecommunications hardware such as optic fibre cables that carry internet traffic.

As it stands, Anambra State is the only state in the zone that has started the implementation of zero charges on RoW per linear meter.
This means that the state is currently the only state in the region to implement the waiver of the per linear meter RoW charges as opposed to the N145 per linear metre recommended by the National Economic Council, NEC in 2020.

The Special Assistant to Anambra State Governor, Prof Charles Soludo on Information and Communication technology on ICT, Mr. Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata confirmed this.

In 2018, the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, called for a review of the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU signed between the Federal Government, State Governments and telecom operators on the RoW. According to the then Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Umar Danbatta, this is because State Governments have placed multiple taxes on telecom operators, resulting in poor quality of service.


According to a report in 2020, over 14 governors hiked the RoW fees in their states to between N3, 000 and N6,000. For instance, the Lagos State Government insisted that it will continue to charge telecom companies N1, 500 per linear metre. According to the state agency, the RoW charge pegged at N145 by the NEC in 2013 was merely a suggestion.

For emphasis, at N145 RoW, a telecoms company will be able to complete 10 percent of the distance (1km instead of 10km). This, in turn, will significantly reduce the broadband penetration speed across Nigeria.

But, following a meeting between then Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, there was an agreement to reverse RoW charges for telcos to N145 per linear metre. So far, this has been implemented by Kaduna, Katsina, Plateau, Ekiti, Kwara and Anambra States.

Right of way

Meanwhile, the EVC of NCC that Dr Aminu Maida said that moving forward, NCC is going to push an advocacy agenda to ensure every region is connected with fibre the basic broadband infrastructure.


Speaking in Lagos recently, he said: “Imagine the economic activity that can be enabled when you are connected with the fibre, I think that’s the approach and thinking we are using, so far we have seen Katsina, Nasarawa and I can I assure you over the next couple of weeks we are going to one of two more and hopefully within the next couple of years we might even forget about what RoW.

Responding to the statistics, a founder and CEO of an Agri-insurance company, Izanu Africa, Comfort Onyaga, said: “One of the things that came to mind is what percentage of the population of South easterners that number represents?

N

B

Biodun556:
N

Igbos are busy, while you waste your time thinking and monitoring them

Food don done for some people

Anambra1stSonTV:

Igbos are busy, while you waste your time thinking and monitoring them

Yes they are busy kolobying Lagos

Ttalk:


Yes they are busy kolobying Lagos

You are pained because your ancestral homes have been bought by odogwu.

Money paid in full


You used the money to eat Ewedu and dance owambe.

Now you are crying.


Wail nigga wail 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Hoilgbegiri:


You are pained because your ancestral homes have been bought by odogwu.

Money paid in full


You used the money to eat Ewedu and dance owambe.

Now you are crying.


Wail nigga wail 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Oboy, see early morning lamentation.

Ttalk:


Oboy, see early morning lamentation.

Na you e dey pain na 🤣🤣🤣

ILoveNG:
Always backward
A stain on the south

With loudest noise

Biodun556:


With loudest noise

Let it pain you well well. We won't subscribe anything. Do your worst.

He quoted only NBS for his trash article.

Anybody willing to sell his or her ancestral house in Lagos even with grave I will buy and scrab out the grave,build a befitting mansion.
I know hunger is too much,these is a good opportunity to sell me cheaply your ancestral home instead of dying inside the house and crying epa wa mioo.
Remember I m buying immediately once is genuine.

Igbo matter is better than food and sex to some people.

Biodun556:


With loudest noise

We don't care. Busy body like you cares. Our matter is what gives life. Without lgbos many of you are useless

Just 5 States and you expect them to be leading ?

Ttalk:


Yes they are busy kolobying Lagos

Exactly

We are 70% done with the kolobying too while the displaced indigenes cry to their baale and oba to beg igbos to go home and leave their purchased and developed properties for them to fight over 😆

Hoilgbegiri:


You are pained because your ancestral homes have been bought by odogwu.

Money paid in full


You used the money to eat Ewedu and dance owambe.

Now you are crying.


Wail nigga wail 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

The owambe and olosho carrying upandan has finished the money odogwu paid them for their great grand fathers house

Now they are scattered under the bridges all over lagos. Eyeing odogwu passing in his big jeep and crying out to him for handouts

I pity them emilokan crews, it's a sad sight to behold

Low on telecommunications subscription, high on real estate, bank deposits, SME ,literacy, human development index, wealth distribution.


The problem is that the statistics are wrong using numbers of subscribers and not the amount revenue

Biodun556:

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2024/01/nigeria-why-south-east-zones-low-on-telecom-devt/amp/


By Juliet Umeh

South Eastern part of Nigeria continues to lag behind in telecom development.


At least, recent data statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics confirmed so.


The Bureau said that in terms of telecommunications development and broadband penetration, the region with five states including Abia, Anambra, Imo, Enugu and Ebonyi, took last in the third quarter of 2023.

In the active voice subscription per zone, NBS disclosed that North Central had 38,470,115, North West – 40,020,788, North East – 26,379,334, South West – 67,585,980, South-South was 26, 924,411 while South East had 22,389,255.

Also on active internet subscription, North Central – 27,813,199, North West – 28,687,940, North East – 18,931,895, South West- 47,559,081, and South-South – 20,002,645 and South East was 15,967,753.

But, this is not even surprising. It has remained the trend over the years.

For instance, in Q1 2022, active voice subscription per zone, North Central – 37,429,197, North West – 37,329,859, North East – 19,379,078, South East – 19,569,496, South West – 56,606,404

South-South – 29, 241, 597.

Also, active internet subscription per zone in Q1 2022 were as follows: North central – 27, 476,820, North West – 26,912,492, North East – 14,142,290, South East- 13,982,821, South West- 41,988,986 and South-South – 21,059,374
The trend is also the same in 2021.


According to NBS, internet usage in Nigeria in quarter 04, 2021 South Eastern Nigeria recorded 13.7 million users, which is the lowest among the states, except North East.


NBS data shows that in the quarter under review, South West region has the highest online users with 41.7 million followed by North Central with 26.6, North West has 25.4 users.

Others are South-South which has 20.8 million internet users and troubled North East which has 13.8 million.
However, many variables are contributing to this poor outcome.

Industry experts and technology analysts are of the opinion that inability of the state governors in the region to eliminate bottlenecks hindering digital access is responsible.

Chief among the issues is the high right of way, RoW charges.


They also said that high population and low business interest also play a big role in the low data for the zone.

Right of Way charge is a levy paid by telecommunication companies to state governments, permitting telecommunication companies to dig up the roads and install telecommunications hardware such as optic fibre cables that carry internet traffic.

As it stands, Anambra State is the only state in the zone that has started the implementation of zero charges on RoW per linear meter.
This means that the state is currently the only state in the region to implement the waiver of the per linear meter RoW charges as opposed to the N145 per linear metre recommended by the National Economic Council, NEC in 2020.

The Special Assistant to Anambra State Governor, Prof Charles Soludo on Information and Communication technology on ICT, Mr. Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata confirmed this.

In 2018, the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, called for a review of the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU signed between the Federal Government, State Governments and telecom operators on the RoW. According to the then Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Umar Danbatta, this is because State Governments have placed multiple taxes on telecom operators, resulting in poor quality of service.


According to a report in 2020, over 14 governors hiked the RoW fees in their states to between N3, 000 and N6,000. For instance, the Lagos State Government insisted that it will continue to charge telecom companies N1, 500 per linear metre. According to the state agency, the RoW charge pegged at N145 by the NEC in 2013 was merely a suggestion.

For emphasis, at N145 RoW, a telecoms company will be able to complete 10 percent of the distance (1km instead of 10km). This, in turn, will significantly reduce the broadband penetration speed across Nigeria.

But, following a meeting between then Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, there was an agreement to reverse RoW charges for telcos to N145 per linear metre. So far, this has been implemented by Kaduna, Katsina, Plateau, Ekiti, Kwara and Anambra States.

Right of way

Meanwhile, the EVC of NCC that Dr Aminu Maida said that moving forward, NCC is going to push an advocacy agenda to ensure every region is connected with fibre the basic broadband infrastructure.


Speaking in Lagos recently, he said: “Imagine the economic activity that can be enabled when you are connected with the fibre, I think that’s the approach and thinking we are using, so far we have seen Katsina, Nasarawa and I can I assure you over the next couple of weeks we are going to one of two more and hopefully within the next couple of years we might even forget about what RoW.

Responding to the statistics, a founder and CEO of an Agri-insurance company, Izanu Africa, Comfort Onyaga, said: “One of the things that came to mind is what percentage of the population of South easterners that number represents?

This is another propaganda against SE.
The only reason for the low number of subs in SE is because a large number of south-easterners lives outside their region everybody knows this except the op.

Seun fergiie001 you guys should always delete all threads which are designed to instigate tribal warfare and that don't add value to the forum and the op banned for 10 years.

Biodun556:


With loudest noise

You are the op and this is the intention of your thread.
You are always notorious and an agent of tribalism and hate on this forum... Don't you ever have anything else to do with your life!?

Hoilgbegiri:


You are pained because your ancestral homes have been bought by odogwu.

Money paid in full


You used the money to eat Ewedu and dance owambe.

Now you are crying.


Wail nigga wail 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

People that can not afford common data?
You guys can only buy off Lagos in your dreams.
In reality, you guys are mere miscreants slaving away your youthful time selling gala and lacasera in Lagos traffics.

nzeobi:
Just 5 States and you expect them to be leading ?

They are minorities..

People should start seeing the igbos as minorities, this will reduce our expectations from them.

Godfullsam:


They are minorities..

People should start seeing the igbos as minorities, this will reduce our expectations from them.

What were your expectations that they have not meet

Godfullsam:


They are minorities..

People should start seeing the igbos as minorities, this will reduce our expectations from them.

a minority that belongs to the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria? You're daft

Beremx:
a minority that belongs to the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria? You're daft

They are minority among the 3 major ethnic groups.

They are called 'dot in a circle' for a reason.
There entire SE is not up to kogi state alone by land mass.
Birnin gwari LG in kaduna state is more than 2 SE states combined.

To say you are daft is understatement.

Godfullsam:


They are minority among the 3 major ethnic groups.

.

your statement still reeks of daftness. Read what you wrote and see if it is meaningful?

I've been closely following the discussion on telecom development in Nigeria, and it's truly exciting to see the strides being made in this space. The expansion of telecom infrastructure is not just about improved connectivity; it's a gateway to numerous opportunities for local businesses, education, and even healthcare through digital platforms.

One point that resonates with me, particularly in the context of Nigeria's telecom growth, is the broader implication of internet penetration on a global scale. As we celebrate the advancements within Nigeria, it's also insightful to consider how we fit into the global landscape of internet access and digital inclusion.

Recently, I came across an article that offers a comprehensive look into global internet penetration, including statistics and insights that could be quite enlightening for us here. While the focus is global, the information provides a backdrop against which we can benchmark Nigeria's progress and understand our position in the worldwide effort to bridge the digital divide.

This article Global Internet Penetration - Insights for Businesses highlights the critical role of internet access in empowering businesses, especially in regions that are on the cusp of digital breakthroughs. For Nigeria, this means a lot. As our telecom sector grows, the potential for businesses to leverage this connectivity for expansion, reaching new markets, and improving services is immense.

It also sheds light on the importance of not just the availability but the quality of internet service. This is particularly relevant for us as we discuss telecom development in Nigeria. As we aim for wider coverage, keeping an eye on service quality will be crucial for ensuring that the benefits of telecom expansion are fully realized.