Harmonised RoW price will unlock digital potential, employment opportunities, says ATCON

The Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) says states that implement the harmonised and approved Right of Way (RoW) price of N145 stand the chance of unlocking the inherent digital potential of their states and ramping up employment opportunities.

In a statement made to the newsmen on Thursday, the umbrella of telcos ATCON commended Dr Kayode Fayemi, Executive Governor, Ekiti State, Dr Kayode and Senator Hope Odidika Uzodinma, Executive Governor, Imo State and their respective State House of Assemblies for the implementation of the approved right of way price from a very exorbitant price to an industry and investment-friendly price of N145 per liner meter approved by the Federal Government.

The statement read in part: “With this move by the governors, their leadership have attested to the fact that the socio-economic development of their respective state is not mutually exclusive to broadband and ICT infrastructure development which has been one of the basis of our advocacy initiatives.

“Some of the benefits that are accruable to states that adopted and implemented the harmonized Right-of-Way price are as follows: Unlocking of the inherent digital potential of these states-: these States are set to enjoy and maximize the opportunity that pervasive broadband penetration can offer as the people of these States can now leverage on uninterrupted telecommunications services which they have not been enjoying before now. The reason for this is that telecom infrastructure would give them the opportunity to express their gifts and talents.

“Fast-paced of development enabled by robust Telecom and ICT Infrastructure-: the direct multiplier effect of this pragmatic executive order is that these States will experience a noticeable development both in the private and public sector which is expected to push the revenue of these states forward and it will also make companies that do not have a presence in these states to consider opening a branch in the state which will lead to employment generation thereby reducing rural-urban migration.

“We use this opportunity to advise those States that have not implemented the approved the harmonized Right-of-Way price of N145 per linear meter to take a clue from these States and together telecom and ICT infrastructure will speed up the needed development in Nigeria.”