The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has granted Nigeria additional frequencies to improve broadcasting and telecommunications services in the country.
The resources were released during the just-concluded ITU World Radio Conference 2023 (ITU-WRC23) held in Dubai, UAE.
Minister of Communications, Innovation, And Digital Economy, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, who led Nigeria’s delegation to the conference, said via X (former Twitter), that the delegation was also able to obtain satellite resources for broadcast services.
Furthermore, according to the ITU resolutions, the conference accepted the Radio Regulations Board’s suggestion to allow 41 states, including Nigeria, to acquire new and useable orbital resources for satellite broadcasting.
The countries were unable to use their assigned orbital slots in recent years due to reasons such as a lack of coordination and interference from other satellite networks, according to the United Nations body in charge of global communications. The ruling aims to allow countries to build sub-regional satellite networks.
According to the Minister: “Following the closing ceremony and ratification of the agreements at the ITU-WRC23, I am excited about the success that our delegation has been able to achieve, including the recovery of satellite resources for broadcast services and securing additional FM Frequency channels which are both a boost to our telecoms and broadcast industry.”
“Work must now begin as we plan towards the next WRC in 2027 and as I mentioned to our delegation yesterday, I am keen to see more diversity and succession planning to ensure we can have effective and impactful representation at these events,” said the minister.
The ITU revealed earlier this year that 2.6 billion people worldwide still do not have access to the Internet. The increased resources are expected to improve access to affordable and meaningful connectivity for people who are currently disconnected.
In her statement, the ITU Secretary-General, Doreen Bogdan-Martin said: “WRC-23 puts the world on a solid path towards a more connected, sustainable, equitable, and inclusive digital future for all,”.
“Key spectrum regulation accomplishments for space, research, and terrestrial radio services build on the momentum of the ITU’s ongoing work to achieve universal connectivity and sustainable digital transformation.”
