By Dele Ogbodo
In a move seen as paving a soft landing for telecommunication operators in South-east and South-south, the Government of Abia State over the weekend said it had concluded plans to give priority attention to Right of Ways (RoWs) roll out and expansion of fibre infrastructure to improve communications within the region.
Recall that the slow pace of response from state governors to creating easy and affordable access to RoWs across the country has been a set back to the country’s digitalization rollout..
Operators who spoke to EXTRAORDINAIRE on anonymity, see this as conundrum, considering the fact that they are not able to expand their fibre infrastructural roll out for speedy connectivity, Quality of Service (QoS)/Quality of Experience and internet service across the gamut of broadband expansion initiated in 2013 by the National Broadband Council (NBC).
While the initiative by Abia State is hailed as commendable and should be emulated by other states, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the industry regulator, hinted in Q2, 2024 that only few states across the country have complied with its directives on RoWs charges capped at N145 per linear metre.
The news which sets abuzz excitement among industry stakeholders is coming even as the Governor, Mr. Alex Otti, has expressed readiness making his intention known to Abians that it is set to re-update its several decades of development plans which according to him, has become archaic and obsolete in tandem with the present development index of the state that has grown both in economy and demography.
Briefing the journalists in its first Executive Council meeting, in Umuahia, the state capital, the Governor while speaking through his Commissioner for Information, Mr. Okey Kanu, said re-basing while reappraising the state economic indicators has become imperative given the economic vulnerabilities occasioned by the prevailing inflation being experienced by Nigerians across the country.
The Governor however noted that there was need to carry out the exercise to reflect the real position of the state’s economy.
He said: “The state economic team charged with the assignment was already at work to ensure the success of the exercise.
“The final document for the right of way regulation for laying of telecom cables around the state has been produced and this will come into effect very soon.
“That is meant to regulate how telecommunications cables are laid across the state.” The Governor added.
According to him the state has noted with perplexity that driving against traffic in the state has become a menace and stated the present administration was committed to enforcing the traffic rules.
“Going forward, it will be a serious offence to drive against traffic no matter the distance. You see a lot of people within the town drive against the traffic for one reason or the other.” Otti, said.
