Telephone subscriber base rises from 400k to 209m in 21 years
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Active mobile telephone subscriber numbers have increased massively from a mere 400,000 in 2001 to 209 million in August 2022, buoyed by the entry of network carriers in the liberation of the sector 21 years ago.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) disclosed the figures and reaffirmed its commitment to driving the deployment and adoption of emerging technologies.
It said the tools include Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, Blockchain, Robotics and Virtual Reality, FINTECH, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and telemedicine to stimulate greater ICT contribution to the economy.
NCC Executive Vice Chairman Umar Danbatta stressed at a Cyberchain Stakeholders conference in Abuja the Commission would not relent in promoting new technology to stimulate business growth.
He said it is gladdening telecom contributes substantially to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as teledensity reached 110 per cent in August 2022 and telecom investment grew to $500 million from $70 billion in 2001.
Danbatta promised the NCC would remain focused on broadband penetration and deployment of 5G technology.
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Telecom contribution to GDP
A statement issued by NCC Public Affairs Director Reuben Muoka quoted Danbatta as saying telecom is a vital economic booster transforming the way people live and work as well as increasing efficiency in other sectors.
“From $500 million investments in the sector as at 2001, the telecommunications industry has recorded over $70 billion investment till date, while the growth in the sector has been phenomenal, from some 400,000 functional phone lines in 2001 to over 209 million active mobile subscriptions, achieving a teledensity of 110 per cent, as at August 2022,” Danbatta said, per reporting by The Nation.
“The sector has provided over 500,000 formal and informal jobs for Nigerians.
“From an insignificant contribution to GDP in 2001, telecoms sector, as at the last quarter of 2021, contributed 12.61 per cent to GDP, while the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector as a group, has also contributed 18.44 per cent to GDP as at the second quarter of 2022.
“For us as a country to reap the full benefits of all these emerging technologies in ways that further spur growth in our national economy, NCC prioritises the need to improve and expand broadband infrastructure and the deployment of new technology such as the Fifth Generation of Mobile Communication (5G).
“Our efforts in diligently driving this will facilitate the actualisation of the set targets in the Federal Government’s digital economy policy.”
Danbatta enthused Nigeria will be in a better position to create an alternate economy for diversification, innovation, creativity in e-commerce and digital entrepreneurship with rapid digital transformation.
This, he added, will empower a significant number of people to become self-reliant and self-employed.