Nigerian telecom investors raise alarm over threat from S/Africa

Nigerian investors and stakeholders in the telecommunications and broadcast sector have raised on alarm over the looming threat of a South African digital signal broadcasting network scheduled for launch in June 2017.
They cited two “irregular acquisitions” of strategic inroads to the digital signal spectrum by MTN and MultiChoice through the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
Addressing journalists in Kaduna, one of the investors, Chief Abel Danladi revealed that the NBC had granted MTN the 700MHz spectrum and MultiChoice direct to TV broadcast rights respectively under the new digital signal broadcast system that will replace the analogue network in 2017 to the disadvantage of other Nigerian investors.
The MTN is said to have invested N34 billion in the NBC deal that is now in jeopardy following legal challenge at the Federal High Court with the MultiChoice facility.
Chief Danladi urged the federal government to decisively uphold the strict application of due process procurement rules and regulations as was witnessed for the roll-out National Terrestrial Broadcasting Signal Distribution Network in Nigeria, between March and July 2014.
The stakeholders further observed that NBC had usurped the powers of the National Frequency Management Council under the new Ministry of Information and Culture in its MTN and MultiChoice transactions as if it was obliged to defer to its DG’s nearly nine years of service to MultiChoice before coming to NBC.