Cloud Network Urges Minister to Address Telecoms Challenges 

Emma Okonji

Cloud Network Foundation (CNF), a registered non-government organisation devoted to the growth, development and emergence of telecommunications and ICT has called on the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani to address insecurity and other challenges faced by telecons sector operators as they impact on the wellness of the country’s  investment climate.  

Chairman, Cloud Network Foundation, Mr. Abimbola Toki, who made the call in a statement, said the challenges require urgent national attention and need immediate remedies. According to Toki, “The deliberate disruption and destruction telecoms infrastructure, which is supposed to be national critical infrastructure (CNI), must be a major focus for interactions with the government at all levels and the security architecture of the nation. 

“The issue of multiple taxation, Right of Ways (RoW) in the different states, spiraling inflation, excessive import taxes and the unstable policy environment which has continued to encumbered the growth and development of the economy, must be addressed by the Minister.”

Tooki said the issue of harmonized national database has been on the drawing board for a long time, and called on the Ministry to bring the matter to closure. 

According to him, currently, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) is managing the National Identity Number (NIN) at the top of the pyramid. Other agencies also having custody of citizens’ biometric details are the Federal Road Safety Corps (Driver’s licenses), Central Bank of Nigeria managing Bank Verification Number (BVN), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) in custody of the international passport and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in charge of the national voters’ card. 

He therefore urged the Minister to intervene and ensure the hat your intervention would ensure the harmonization of national database under the management of NIMC.