The House of Representatives Committee on Telecommunications in Nigeria has pledged its commitment to providing essential parliamentary interventions and support to address the challenges currently faced by the country’s telecom industry.
The committee chairman, Peter Akpatason, conveyed this commitment during a courtesy visit by the leadership and members of the National Executive Council of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) to his office on Friday.
Chairman Akpatason acknowledged the vital role played by ATCON in contributing significantly to Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP), which he deemed crucial for the nation’s economy.
He emphasized that as the umbrella body for all telecom service providers, ATCON’s contributions account for approximately 18% of Nigeria’s GDP.
Akpatason stressed the need for closer collaboration between the legislature and the private sector, identifying them as key drivers for growth.
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He also promised to establish deeper working relationships with regulatory bodies and industry stakeholders through the organization of a legislative-regulator-stakeholders’ forum.
Furthermore, Akpatason emphasized the significance of collaboration and synergy between the legislative and private sectors in promoting growth, innovation, and prosperity.
During the visit, the leader of the ATCON delegation, Tony Emoekpere, called on the committee to provide a legislative framework and work plan that would facilitate industry growth and, in turn, boost Nigeria’s economy.
Notably, the telecom sector has recently faced challenges, such as the unremitted N120 billion Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) service debt owed by commercial banks to telecom operators, which has adversely affected the industry.
In October, Gbenga Adebayo, the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria, even threatened to withdraw USSD services from banks due to the unremitted debt.