Swedish Ambassador Reveals How Nigeria,Others Can Grow Mobile Phone Subscription To One Billion

The Swedish Ambassador to Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroun, and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Mrs. Annika Hahn, has revealed how Nigeria and some other sub-saharan African countries can grow their mobile phone subscriptions to one billion users by the end of this year.

Hahn listed ICT regulation and capacity building as key drivers for the ambitious goal by Africa states to reach one billion mobile phone subscriptions.

The Ambassador spoke at the Swedish Programme for Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in Developing and Emerging Regions (SPIDER), recently organised in partnership with the Nigerian Communications Commission and Ericsson.

She acknowledged the role of ICT in Sweden’s economic growth which has benefited Ericsson, one of the world’s oldest and largest ICT companies.

Hahn said Ericsson has reported that there were more than 900 million registered mobile subscriptions in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2022 and Nigeria has a considerable portion.

“Education must be an essential part of our regulatory development strategies and policies, hence the need for collaboration in knowledge-sharing and up-skilling of human resources by all stakeholders,” she said.

According to her, the NCC and other regulators need modern and adaptable regulation to navigate this rapidly-evolving landscape.

Hahn said, “To cope with this new and swiftly-developing environment, we need to regulate in a modern and adaptable way. Therefore, human capacity building in ICT regulation is crucial for all of us.”

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the NCC, Umar Garba Danbatta, in his remarks commended the Swedish Government and Ericsson for their commitment and consistency in a strategic partnership with NCC on capacity building.

Danbatta said the commitment of the Swedish Government and SPIDER has resulted in the growth of ICT development in emerging region.

He said it has improved access to healthcare, education, income generation, and employment opportunities in West Africa and contributed to poverty reduction.

“This periodic strategic engagement under the auspices of SPIDER over the years has made the Commission a more effective regulator and enhanced it contribution to the development of the telecommunications sector.

“This contribution will further support the creation of an ecosystem that is beneficial to the economies and people of the region,” the EVC said.