The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has finally signed a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreement with its consultant, 3R Company Nigeria Limited, for the execution of the Revenue Assurance Solutions (RAS) to strengthen and manage the integrity of revenue generation process in the Nigerian telecommunications industry.
The agreement-signing ceremony, which took place at the Commission’s Head Office, Abuja on Friday, June 17, 2022, was witnessed by representatives of the Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission (ICRC). The ICRC has been guiding the partnership implementation process to give expression to the decision to procure the Solution within a PPP framework due to the scope of the project.
While the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, signed the agreement on behalf of the Commission, the Chief Executive Officer, 3R Nigeria Limited, Mr Raymond Wodi, signed on behalf of his company.
Speaking at the event, Danbatta said the decision of the NCC to opt for RAS was to bolster the efforts of the Federal Government in increasing revenue generation, especially at a time when the resources at the disposal of the government are dwindling by the day.
The EVC stated that the deployment of RAS would enhance monitoring and regulatory activities concerning Annual Operating Levy (AOL) administration in the telecommunications industry and confer higher levels of integrity and fidelity on the AOL figures obtainable in the industry.
“It is our belief that if we can be able to deploy RAS and ensure we get the true picture of what the Mobile Networks Operators (MNOs) are supposed to be paying by way of AOL, we would have accomplished an important milestone in the area of revenue generation for the Commission as well as for the government,” Danbatta said.
The EVC commended the ICRC for the guidance provided in the process of consummating the partnership. He also praised the Project Delivery Team (PDT), comprising staff of the Commission, who worked tirelessly in ensuring that the project was brought to fruition and for all their efforts. He urged the 3R Company Nigeria Limited to ensure effective deployment and implementation of the project within its scope, objective and government’s expectations.
In his comment, Raymond Wodi of 3R Company Nigeria Limited, thanked the Commission for the opportunity given to the company to serve the industry and the government through deployment of 3R’s technology solution to ensure a more effective revenue generation from telecom licensees.