The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday put its projected revenue for the 2022 fiscal year at about N632billion.
It insisted that the proposed deployment of Fifth Generation (5G) network in the telecoms sector would have no effect on the safety and health of Nigerians.
Its Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, gave the assurance when he appeared before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Communications to defend his commission’s 2022 budget estimates.
The assertion by the NCC boss followed questions asked by some members of the joint committee about the fears being expressed by Nigerians over the deployment of the new technology.
When asked by the Chairman of the Joint Communication Committee, Senator Oluremi Tinubu and some members on safety of the 5G network, the NCC boss said nothing hazardous would happen from the network.
Danbatta said the agency proposed to generate N632.39billion in 2022 from the sale of 5G spectrum to telecoms firms, among other revenue sources.
“The revenue would be realised through the sales of 5G spectrum, and fines, among others. Concerning the fears about the 5G spectrum, we share the same concern because it is justified and we have been sensitising Nigerians about the safety of the new technology. The 5G network we are going to launch has no harm.
“Up till date, there is no credible evidence about the health hazard of the 5G technology, therefore it is safe,” he said.
According to him, the 5G Spectrum network was good for the economy and the nation’s social transformation.
“There is no medical evidence from the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicating any harmful effect of the spectrum on the health of the end users.
“NCC has enjoined Nigerians to disabuse their minds on the purported harmful effect of the spectrum and we will continue to sensitise them on the spectrum until everybody embraces the use of the 5G network,” he added.
He further said with the launch of the Computer Incidence Response Team, and telecommunications networks across the country are secured against any form of cyber attack.
“Recently, not up to a month ago, the commission unveiled its computer incidence responsive which is a certified round protection for cyber attacks against telecommunication network.
“I am very, very proud to bring this information to the knowledge of public that all over the country our computers are secured from cyber attacks.
“This effort is going to be intensified to ensure the safety of our computers,” he said.
On the commission’s main budget, he said N86.2billion was proposed for recurrent expenditures, N29.36billion for Capital while N2.55billion was earmarked for Special Projects.
Danbatta, while defending his agency’s budget before the Senate MTEF/FSP panels in September, had said the agency could generate up to N400billion from the spectrum sale next year.
Danbatta said his agency projected a budget of N162billion for 2021 but that, in the first quarter of 2021, “we have exceeded that amount because we were able to generate N181billion.This is because two of our mobile network operators, the MTN and Airtel, requested for spectrum and that really gave us a lot of revenue.”
Dambatta added: “Each slot of the 5G spectrum is going for an exact price of N75billion. However, in an auction, it can go as high as N100billion.
“The exact price for the Spectrum auction, in 2022 will give the Federal Government, N300billion. When the projected revenue is added to it, we are expecting well over N400billion because it is an auction.”
