The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has called for the harmonization of regulations for telecommunications operators in order to attract investment.

Dr Bashir Gwandu, the NCC Acting Executive Vice Chairman, made the call on Tuesday in Abuja when he paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Environment, Mr John Odey. The purpose of the visit was to resolve the conflict between the National Environment Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) and telecommunications operators.

NESREA has at different times, sealed up the base stations of some GSM operators including GLOBACOM, MTN Nigeria and ETISALAT located in residential areas. According to NESREA, the location of the stations is inimical to the health of Nigerians, adding that the companies did not conduct Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study before siting the stations.

EIA is a mandatory assessment expected to be carried out before a project is embarked upon. Gwandu suggested that telecommunications regulations should be handled by the NCC while NESREA takes care of regulations on the environment across board for all concerned.
“Telecom industry has been attracting a lot of investment and promoting different businesses and increasing our Gross Domestic Product (GDP). NCC has a regulation in place for the installation of mast and towers; no rule is perfect; we review them all the time,” he said.

He explained that telecommunication services would not function without masts and towers, stressing that NCC does not have optic fibres. Gwandu said there was no conclusive evidence that radiation emanating from the masts and towers had a negative impact on human health. He reiterated that NCC would give maximum cooperation in addressing areas of concern to NESREA and the public.

On carbon emission, he advised that location of masts and generators must conform with the stipulated laws on such installations. In her remarks, Dr Ngeri Benebo, the NESREA Director-General, stressed the need for companies to adhere to the EIA requirement before embarking on their installations.She noted while MTN and ZAIN had complied with the EIA requirement, operators erected their masts and towers without complying with the laid down regulations.

“If we continue to allow them to do business without this, we are giving them a lot of considerations,” she said.

While acknowledging investment as a welcome development, she said that it should not be to the detriment of the health of Nigerians. Investment that is not in line with sustainable development will not augur well with Nigeria,” she stressed.

Responding, Odey noted that the code and rules of the operators within the environment should be sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Odey also assured NCC that there were no conflicting laws from NESREA.
“We have some challenges from the telecoms sector because of lack of infrastructure particularly in terms of optic fibre. NCC needs the optic fibre to enhance service delivery,” he said. He also tasked the media to sensitise the public on key issues that bordered on telecommunications.