NAN-H-33
Policy
By Constance Athekame
Abuja, March 15, 2017 (NAN) Mr Adede Williams, the National President, Association of Telecommunications Professionals of Nigeria (ATPN) has called on the Federal Government to make regulatory policies of telecom sector flexible to attract more investors.
Williams made this call on Wednesday in Abuja in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He said that the regulating agencies should look at the policies already on ground and find ways of reviewing them to attract more investors in the sector.
According to him, there are existing policies that drive the telecom industry; the regulators should revisit these policies.
Williams said that Nigerian remained an investors’ delight because of the population.
He said this would attract quick returns on investment but the major concern in the telecom industry was how flexible the policies had been.
“When you bring out a policy, you look at how the policy is being driven negatively or positively.
”If it is positively driven, do you want it to remain there or upgrade; even if it is negative, how is it affecting the stakeholders?
“We agree that the telecom regulators are doing perfectly well.
”But we will also like them to find out why investors are not happy with the policies on ground as this is a factor that can make the industry thrive.
“We have enough opportunity in the telecom industry, if we have the right policies, a lot of people will come into the industry, register their companies and have license to operate,” he said.
Williams said that sector played an important role in economic activities of the country and whenever investors came to invest, “there is always a booming market’’.
“The policies are there, but I think what I will advise the telecom regulators, most especially, National Information Technology Development Agency and Nigerian Communications Commission is to revisit the policies and come out with ones that will boom the industry more.”
Williams said that the requirement from government was discouraging at times and the policies were not local content friendly.
”That is one of the things that make people to be unserious,” he said.
Williams said that it was a well known fact that foreign investments had been one of the most important driving forces in the exploration of the telecom industry.
”But local investors can also be encouraged to work in conjunction with local investors,” he said.
The regulatory bodies should put in place friendly policies that would make both foreign and local investors work together to make the industry thrive. (NAN)
COA/JEO/GY
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Edited by Jane-Frances Oraka/Grace Yussuf