From Idu Jude, Abuja
As the Ministry of Communication prepares to welcome European support for a 90,000 km fibre optic network and improved digital literacy in Nigeria, the Director-General of NESREA, Dr. Innocent Barikor, says the agency will ensure that the environment is given due consideration in the deployment of telecommunications infrastructure in the country, in line with extant laws.
Dr. Barikor made the promise when he received European companies Consulting Management and Europe Ltd, who visited to brief him on the European Union-funded project in Nigeria titled “EU Support to Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy”.
The NESREA DG stated that the environmental implications of such deployment would be taken into consideration, with due diligence carried out before the commencement of the project, while also drawing attention to the need for sensitisation of the citizens.
Prof. M.T. Ladan, who led the delegation, assured the Director-General that the team was already taking the necessary steps to ensure compliance, especially with regards to the Environmental Impact Assessment for the project, adding that the team was in NESREA as part of its stakeholders’ engagement and consultation on the project.
The project, which is to kickstart in April 2025, is earmarked to cost over €150 million.