Dr. Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has reiterated the Commission’s commitment to supporting law-abiding investors in the country, including Meta (formerly Facebook).
The assurance of regulatory support was conveyed during a visit to the NCC headquarters in Abuja by a delegation from Meta, led by Kojo Boakye, the Vice President for Africa, the Middle-East, and Turkey.
Dr. Maida emphasized that the NCC’s support for investors is contingent upon their adherence to rules and regulations governing the telecommunications sector.
He underscored the importance of compliance with industry laws, guidelines, and regulations, which fosters a level playing field for all licensees and stakeholders, ensuring healthy competition and sustainable growth in the Nigerian telecoms sector.
Kojo Boakye, leading the Meta delegation, congratulated Dr. Maida on his appointment by the President and shared updates on Meta’s ongoing efforts to land the 2Africa submarine cable in Nigeria.
The 45,000-kilometer-long cable is one of the world’s largest subsea cable projects, set to interconnect Europe (via Egypt), Asia (via Saudi Arabia), and Africa, with a scheduled go-live date in 2023 and a design capacity of up to 180 terabytes per second (Tbps).
Boakye highlighted the significance of the 2Africa cable, stating that it will address the growing demand for Internet capacity and reliability across Africa, supporting the expansion of 4G, 5G, and fixed broadband access.
He sought the NCC’s support in navigating legal and regulatory processes for the successful landing of the submarine cable in Nigeria.
Boakye also disclosed Meta’s consortium’s plan to simultaneously land the 2Africa cable in Lagos and Akwa-Ibom States “in order to ensure those not yet connected are connected while those already connected are given opportunity for enhanced and affordable access.”
