By Data Centres in Nigeria need to start considering prioritising contents reflecting the nation’s cultural norms, contexts and ideological values while reaping the attendant socio-economic benefits within the value chain.
According to the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof Umar Danbatta, data centres in Nigeria must also ensure that they operate to guarantee national Digital sovereignty.
Danbatta who gave the charge in a keynote address delivered at the Fourth Telecommunications Sector Sustainability Forum in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, pledged the Commission’s consistent facilitation and support for its licensees.
He said that as major stakeholders, the NCC would continue to explore additional frontiers of expansion and greater opportunities for investment within the data centre space, whilst also ensuring strict adherence to data protection regulations.
The NCC boss who was represented by Dr Sunday Atu. Head Traffic Administration NCC, said that with the recognition of the new place of data within the ecosystem, the Commission had proactively taken steps leading to carried out extensive assessment of the broadband value chain, including the analysis of market features such as ecosystem mapping, pricing, technology, regulatory climate and competition.
He added the NCC had also put in place appropriate regulatory measures to guide the industry in determining a cost based transmission trunk link rates and mobile access networks.
Danbatta however noted that Data Centre operators are not immune to the overwhelming challenges confronting the industry that ranges from digital literacy, poor power supply, multiple taxation and regulations at different levels of government as well as the recent deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector and the attendant subsidy removal, coupled with the exchange rate harmonization.
He further stressed that with the increasing global recognition of broadband as a critical infrastructure and socio-economic tool for national growth, it is imperative for Nigeria to sharpen its focus on broadband development and increasing support for Data Centre Services in Nigeria.
The forum theme was ; ‘Mainstreaming Data Centres in the Nigerian Digital Economy’ and was put together by BusinessRemark.
