TheCable

Umar Danbatta, executive vice-chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), says the fifth-generation (5G) network will enable Nigerian youths to compete favourably in different sectors globally. 

Danbatta said this on Tuesday during the prize-giving ceremony of the third NCC national essay competition titled ‘5G Technology: Opportunities & Challenges’, which held in Abuja.

According to him, the competition is to motivate youths to be as innovative as their counterparts in other countries. 

He reassured Nigerians of the safety of the 5G network, adding that it will expand online networking and provide easier ways of doing business. 

“The NCC is at the verge of auctioning spectrum for the provision of 5G technology, and we decided to take advantage of the moment by motivating and challenging our youths to be innovative and as resourceful as their counterparts in advanced countries,” he said. 

“The controversies surrounding COVID-19 and 5G technology is now in the past and I want to reassure you that the economic benefits of 5G to Nigeria post-coronavirus pandemic will be huge, especially as almost all businesses and activities of the government are migrating and offering their services online. 

“5G will enable a new kind of network to Nigerians that is designed to connect virtually everyone and everything together including machines, objects, and devices.

“Nigeria’s vibrant youth population stands to benefit immensely from the deployment of 5G as it will offer technopreneurs, technology enthusiasts, SMEs and tech-startups the platform to expand and network with other global players on a scale that has never been witnessed before.”

Ikechukwu Adinde, NCC director of public affairs, who congratulated the winners said the competition was aimed at promoting research and academic participation among Nigerian youths to increase their interest in 5G technology. 

“The 5G technology generated a lot of bad press and attention during the coronavirus pandemic, mainly due to misinformation, misconception and miscommunication,” he said. 

“The commission is impressed with this year’s submissions and encouraged by the fact that Nigerian students have become willing and eager to participate in activities such as this national competition that will improve knowledge and inspire innovation among the nation’s youths.”

During her presentation, Gbeja Esther Oluwabukola, the winner of the competition and a final year student of veterinary medicine at University of Ilorin, said her research findings showed that 5G network can be used to improve several sectors including health, transport, agriculture and small and medium scale businesses. 

Oluwabukola, who was awarded the sum of N500,000, thanked the NCC for the opportunity and implored Nigerians to adopt the 5G network, saying it is not harmful to health as widely believed.  

The other competitors, who also received monetary awards of N300,000 and N200,000, appreciated the NCC for creating the platform for them to share their ideas and get rewarded for it.