FG Reduces Data Charges By 50%

The Federal government said on Thursday that the price of data has been reduced by more than 50 percent following a directive that the Nigerian Communications commission, NCC, should put in place measures to that effect.

Accordingly, the price of data of 1GB has been reduced from 1000 naira to 487 naira beginning from last November.

The Minister of Communications and digital economy Dr Isa Ibrahim Pantami who broke the news, said it was in line with the directive he gave to the regulatory agency (NCC) to put measures in place to reduce the average cost of data in the country.

“The average cost of 1GB of data has reduced from the January 2020 cost of N1,000 to N487.18 in November, 2020.

“This was based on a report by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) submitted to the Honourable Minister following the implementation of the directives,” Dr Pantami’s Technical Assistant, Mr Femi Adeluyi said in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja.

Adeluyi who is Technical Assistant, Information and Technology said: “The Honourable Minister had inaugurated a Committee that developed the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (2020-2025) on the 16th of December, 2019.

“The Plan was unveiled and launched by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, on the 19th of March, 2020.

“One of the goals of the Plan is to reduce the average cost of 1GB of data to a maximum of N390 by 2025.

“With the January 2020 baseline of N1,000 per GB, the maximum projected steady decrease for the end of each year was as follows: 2020 (N925), 2021 (N850), 2022 (N775), 2023 (N700), 2024 (N545) and 2025 (N390).

“In line with Dr Pantami’s commitment to under promise and over deliver, the measures have caused the current cost of data to reduce significantly beyond the December 2020 projection of N925.

“Based on the Report by NCC, the average cost of data as at November 2020 was N487.18, which amounts to 47.33% lower than the projected value.

” The Report also indicates that the cost of data in November 2020 was less than 50% of the cost of data in January 2020.

“The Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, through the NCC, will continue to ensure that consumers enjoy a price regime that supports fairness and is friendly to consumers.

“Policies are in place to ensure that operators adopt competitive pricing that eschews unjustifiable margins. The general public may also wish to note that complaints about rapid data depletion are also being investigated.

“For more enquiries, the Honourable Minister has directed NCC to respond to all issues raised by our citizens and customers.

“All hands will remain on deck to achieve the goals of the Broadband Plan as the Ministry supervises its implementation in line with our National Digital Economy Policy for a Digital Nigeria.”

Comments

937 People Killed In Attacks In Kaduna In 2020

At least 937 people died in violent attacks and mass atrocities in Kaduna State last year, an annual security report by the state government has shown. The report released Wednesday attributed the deaths to kidnappings, banditry and other criminal activities that cut “across all ethnic and religious groups” in Kaduna State. “Victims of criminal acts like banditry and kidnapping are to be found across ethnic, religious or political leanings and persuasions,’’ Samuel Aruwan, the state’s commissioner for internal security and home affairs, said while presenting the report. In his presentation, Mr Aruwan said that of the 937 killed, Igabi Local Government Area recorded the highest number of casualties (152), followed by Kajuru Local Government Area with 144 casualties. He added that Birnin Gwari, Igabi, Giwa and Chikun local governments in Kaduna central accounted for about 50 per cent (or 468 deaths) of the entire fatalities in the state. Meanwhile, 286 died in Kaduna South from the viole...

Buhari Refuses To Act On Magu’s Probe Report Five Months After Submission.

President muhammedu Buhari Refuses To Act On Magu’s Probe Report Five Months After Submission One of Magu’s lawyers, Tosin Ojaomo, said Magu remained in the service of the Nigeria Police Force though the police has yet to post him anywhere after his suspension as EFCC chairman. Ibrahim Magu’s fate remains uncertain five months after the submission of the report of the Justice Ayo Salami Judicial Panel of Inquiry on the former acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to President Muhammadu Buhari. There have been concerns about the fate of Magu after the appointment and confirmation of Abdulrasheed Bawa as the new Executive Chairman of EFCC in February. Although sources in the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), said the panel faulted some procedures in the management of recovered assets under Magu, the presidential white paper on the report had yet to be announced. One of Magu’s lawyers, Tosin Ojaomo, s...

$114.28m COVID-19 loan: SERAP asks World Bank to make Nigeria ‘publicly commit to transparency’

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) has sent an open letter to the World Bank President Mr David Malpass, urging him to use his “good offices to encourage the Federal Government and 36 state governments to publicly commit to transparency and accountability in the spending of the $114.28m credit and grant for COVID-19, which the Bank’s Board of Directors recently approved for Nigeria, including by publishing details on a dedicated websit". SERAP also urged Mr Malpass to “put pressure on authorities and the 36 state governors to accept voluntary scrutiny by Nigerians and civil society regarding the spending of the funds and use of the resources, including on how they will spend the money to buy medical equipment, and improve access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene" The World Bank Board of Directors last Friday approved a $114.28 financing “to help Nigeria prevent, detect and respond to the threat posed by COVID-19 with a specific focus on state level...

ExtMedia

Search This Blog