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| BPE's Director-General, Benjamin Dikki |
THE Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) has put the total investment in Nigeria's telecommunications sector at $40 billion (N6.4 trillion).
The BPE's Director-General, Benjamin Dikki, identified the deregulation of the telecommunications sector and the participation of private telecoms firmss like MTN, Glo, Airtel, Etisalat, Visafone as some of the country's achievements in the last few years.
Besides, the sector is said to have contributed 4.69 per cent to Nigeria's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) within the last four years.
The GDP contributions was made known Thursday, in Lagos, by the Executive Vice Chairman of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Eugene Juwah, while addressing stakeholders in Lagos at the 2014 Telecoms Executives and Regulator forum, organized by the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON).
Juwah said the telecommunications sector, which hitherto contributed 4.56 per cent to GDP in 2010 now contributes 9.25 per cent.
The NCC EVC, who said the telecommunications sector has provided the foundation for operational efficiency in other sectors of the economy in the country, disclosed that the rampaging Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), which has killed thousands of people around the globe has also hindered faster completion processes for the Infrastructure Companies (InfraCos) expected to further drive broadband penetration in the country.
Meanwhile, the BPE DG said Nigeria is enjoying over 123 million active telephone lines compared to 450,000 lines before the reform. "The sector now employs over One million Nigerians and has attracted over $40 billion in investments", he said.
Dikki, in a statement, urged transparency in the disbursement of funds held in trust for the people.
He said: "Governments ought to owe the ultimate owners of the resources an explanation on how the resources have been used in developing the people."
Dikki pointed out the critical role the BPE had played in enthroning accountability and good governance in the country.
He said these include the formation of the national Pension Commission (Pencom) which ensured accountability of workers' pension deductions which he said has accumulated over N4 trillion in stable deposits now ready for development investment.
He said the setting up of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has increased accountability and has assisted in reducing theft of government fundsadding that the deregulation of the telecom sector and the participation of private telecom companies such as MTN, Glo, Airtel, Etisalat, Visafone has alo given the economy a big boost.
"Today Nigeria is enjoying over 123 million active telephone lines compared to 450,000 lines before the reform. The sector now employs over one million Nigerians and has attracted over $40billion in investments," Dikki said.
Source: allAfrica.com
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