On Thursday, February 17, 2022, a significant milestone for Nigeria’s digital economy was reached at the Hilton Hotel in Abuja. The Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, formally handed over the crucial 3.5 GHz spectrum for the fifth-generation (5G) network to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). This specific band, ranging from 3.52 GHz to 3.90 GHz (a total of 380 MHz), was officially allocated to the NCC for subsequent assignment to the companies that had won the 5G auctioning process.

Minister Pantami emphasised the importance of this allocation, noting that it clears the path for the deployment of 5G services across the nation. The journey towards 5G availability in Nigeria commenced in 2021, a period when 176 countries globally had already adopted and were actively using 5G technology. Umar Garba Danbatta, the Executive Vice-Chairman and CEO of the NCC Board of Commissioners, affirmed at the event that all necessary preparatory work had been meticulously completed.

Prof. Danbatta outlined the comprehensive steps taken to reach this point, which included initial trials across various states, thorough reviews, extensive stakeholder engagements, approval from the Federal Executive Council (FEC), the 3.5 GHz spectrum auction itself, and the official launch of the national policy on 5G network by the President. With the formal spectrum allocation now complete, the NCC is poised to assign specific frequency references within the spectrum to the winning bidders upon the confirmation of their payments.

This development follows the successful bids by MTN Nigeria and Mafab Communications Ltd for the 5G spectrum in December 2021. At that time, Minister Pantami had optimistically stated that Nigeria aims to deploy 5G across major urban areas and become Africa’s largest 5G network by 2025, noting that the technology will significantly enhance security institutions and drive digital transformation