FG slashes cost of data by 50% in one year – Pantami

 

BY BANYO TEMITAYO

IN line with the directive to the Nigerian Communications Commission by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, 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 N1,000 in January 2020 to N487.18 in November, the same year.

This represents a decrease of more that 50 per cent within one year.

Pantami, who disclosed this on Thursday, said the Ministry aimed at reducing the average cost of 1GB of data to a maximum of N390 by 2025.

“The cost of data in November 2020 was less than 50% of the cost of data in January 2020,” he said.

The minister, who spoke through his Technical Assistant, Femi Adeluyi, in a statement, in Abuja, said these were contained in a report by the NCC, submitted to him, following the implementation of the directives.

The statement read in part, “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.”

It said, “Based on the Report by NCC, the average cost of data as at November 2020 was N487.18, which amounts to 47.33 per cent 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.”