The Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Italy in Abuja, Tarek Chazli, has singled out the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for the innovative regulatory role it has played on the African telecom space.
Chazli, who was on a courtesy visit with the Telecom Italia Sparkle team to the Commission’s headquarter in Abuja, noted that the Nigerian telecom sector is a leading light of the continental telecom business. He said the visit was aimed at strengthening the proposition by Telecom Italia Sparkle (TIS) to be a player in the Nigerian telecom sector.
“Telecom Italia Sparkle as a leading player in international telecom business recognises the place of Nigeria in Africa’s telecom ecosystem and desires to be a player in the telecom sector,” Chazli stated.
He added that Nigerians and Italians are great users of mobile communications, emphasizing that Nigeria is “a regional leader in mobile communications, a strategic market and an important hub”, so it is just natural that TIS is interested in the Nigerian market, and it is going to add value to the Nigerian market.
“TIS’ entry into the Nigerian market holds a great promise for deepening the transformation of the Nigerian telecom ecosystem,” he assured.
He said many of the globally-used ICT applications are already on TIS backbone. Therefore, the company has huge content to promote robust data services and cause an expansion in businesses for the benefit of Nigerians. He also affirmed that TIS is particularly mindful of the security of contents and applications on its networks.
In response, Adeleke Adewolu, the Executive Commissioner Stakeholder Management at NCC who received the envoy and the TIS team on behalf of Prof. Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, thanked Chazli, Olivieri and Killi for the visit. He also expressed delight at TIS’ passion and enthusiasm towards the Nigerian telecom industry. Adewolu informed TIS about the strides made by the Commission and its commitment towards ensuring the pervasiveness of broadband.
The Executive Commissioner stated that NCC has licensed infrastructure companies that will ensure the cascading of terrestrial fibre to every local government area of Nigeria. He also revealed that soon, a blueprint will be unveiled by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Ali Ibrahim Pantami, defining the roadmap for deepening the digital culture in Nigeria. “So, you are coming at an auspicious time”. He added.
Adewolu promised to transmit the letter from TIS to the EVC and to the Management for consideration. He directed the NCC’s Director of Licensing and Authorization, Mohammed Babajika who was also present at the meeting, to hold a discussion with TIS on its proposal and pending application for a license.