PROF. Umar Garba Danbatta, executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC,  has said no part of Nigeria should be without access to telecommunications service.

Danbatta also said that the NCC will continue to strengthen its various commitments aimed at providing capacity building opportunities in various institutions of higher learning in Nigeria.

He made this known to journalists on the sideline of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering 2021 Academy Technology Dinner/Lecture at the Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, on Wednesday, June 23.

According to him, the NCC has provided capacity building opportunities for Nigerian students in addition to intervening in the area of Science, technology, engineering, and math in institutions in the country.

Danbatta said that the commission’s aim for providing capacity building opportunities in these institutions was geared towards boosting the economy of the country.

On the telecom network (services) in the country, he said Nigerians deserve pervasive telecommunication services in every part of the country, adding that no part of the country should be denied access to telecoms services in whatever part they live.

The commission will continue to monitor and enforce the Key Performance Indicators, KPI, issued to the telecoms operators as a measure of ensuring quality of services, QoS, and reducing drop calls, he said.

Danbatta also said that the NCC has the capacity to monitor the KPIs across the country.

He said that in a situation where the mobile network operators in the provision of service fall short of the accepted standard of QoS, the NCC always draw their attention to the KPIs but that sanction is the last option the regulator can opt for against the operators.

He also said that in under-served areas, the QoS is expected to be poor and that the NCC is mindful of the situations in those areas that are under-served and lacks economic viability.

Danbatta said that the broadband access-gap clusters in Nigeria have reduced further from 207 to 114 cities representing about 55.7 per cent, adding that it would be achieved through the efforts of the Universal Service Provision Fund, USPF.

Realnews reports that the Nigerian Academy of Engineering, NAE, honoured the NCC for supporting the academy towards enhancing economic development in the country.