nigerian institution of electrical and electronics engineers, nieee (a division of the nigerian...
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NIGERIAN INSTITUTION OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS, NIEEE
(A Division of the Nigerian Society of Engineers)
DISTINGUISHED ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS’ ANNUAL LECTURE,
(DEEEAL)
“Pathway to connecting the Last Man”byEngr. Titi Omo-Ettu
Lagos, December 16, 2010
The subject of “Pathway to connecting the Last Man” has taken:
30 pages of text 8,866 words 487 paragraphs condensed to 41 main paragraphs 4 months to prepare With assistance of 15 persons 8 of who made various editing contributions I tried to read it to myself yesterday and it took 3 hours to complete. A presentation is therefore my choice especially as all of us will have
copies of the lecture to go away with.
APOLOGY I take responsibility for all errors in any of the publications relating to
this Lecture and event especially for the confusing times specified in some versions of the invitation materials.
Appreciation
The following persons made editing contributions– Abi Bilesanmi– Chichi Onyewuchi– Clifford Agugoesi– Edozie Uka– Gbenga Adeniyi– Gbenga Sesan– Kayode Yussuf– Reuben Muoka
Executive Committee Members of NIEEE.
Many thanks to them ALL.
MY CHOICES
My Special Guest of Honour The 2007 private discussion and warning Nigeria in the International Arena
My Chairman of Session A non–engineer who in my opinion has made the most valuable contribution to the growth
of the Telecom industry in my 37 years of being a participant.
My Special Guests 86 of them 5 brought out for special mentioning They represent four different age brackets. Invitation sent to 336 guests every one of who by account that we keep at TAA made a
contribution or the other to the telecommunication industry. Six were especially requested to please make it to here.
I convey the excuses of those who unavoidably cannot be here.
Appreciation to NIEEE
Formerly Electrical Division of the NSE An invitation of 1994 Elected Chairman 1996 United two giant electrical engineers who were separated 11
years earlier Distinguished Service Medal for an Electrical/Electronics
Engineer The DEEEAL Lecture.
Thank you Engr. Abiodun Ajifowobaje and Exco members of NIEEE
Telecom to serve people and business
Not too old idea 1990 ‘Telephone is not priority of the poor
man’ 2010 Nigerian Citizens deserve access to
Broadband Internet access as fundamental Right
When did the transmussion occur? And what does it indicate?
The starting line
1991 OGM of NIEEE Issue of deprecating infrastructure The Committee work and its recommendations The MISSING LINK and Festac, Lagos Conference of 1987 Olawale Ige's intervention Vincent Maduka’s expert work The Engr. Teju Oyeleye Pioneer Board of NCC The Pioneer strides of Engr. (now HRH) Ogbonna Iromantu Disbandment of yhe NCC Board in 1994 Liberalisation wagon back to track in 2000
Have we started?
1895 - 1960 telecom not for business but for administering government
1960 - 1993 several development plans with no business objective
1993 – 1999 liberalization, but in Chains 1999 – 2010 Opening up the industry but with not public
electricity power-base
Verdict We have done well We have not started!!
Back to the DEEEAL Lectures
A version was mooted in 1996 Major focus – to push an agenda that a Lecturer, being one of us,
promoted and the Division supported DEEEAL Lecture 2009 – Engr. John Ayodele, Group GM PHCN
promoted
“Distributed Generation for our public electricity supply system”.
What does that mean?– TRUE LIBERALISATION– Stop throwing money at it– Agenda still waiting to be pushed by NIEEE
Five short stories
Rhoda and Ada Mr. & Mrs. Adakhah Johnny Just returned Nigeria here I come Suleiman as the Last Man
Nigerians have spoken
“We want bread and Broadband” …BB4NG Forum July 28, 2010, Abuja
Review of Efforts at Broadband
The Demise of NITEL The Distraction of the 2NO The NCC Initiatives WiN, SABI needing re-
invigoration. The Long Distance Transmission licenses
Can we do it?
One working phone per person Access to broadband by ALL Year 2040 as target Distinguish between ‘Access Indices’ and ‘Actual
Access’ 452,311,182 in 2040
Verdict Yes we can do it.
The Short Term
200TV station possible in 2013 All secondary schools having broadband access to
e-libraries in 2015 37 IT-Parks possible in 2015
Minimum Requirements– The WILL to do it– Restructuring of the Telecom, Broadcasting and computer
industries to a true ICT industry in the next 12 months.
“Broadband Availability” or “Broadband Penetration”?
The provision and access (to everybody) of goods and services - the healthcare, education communication, commerce, information, research products and entertainment now and in the future, will be very much dependent on universal broadband penetration.
A Change in planning mindset– Total Planning with Phased implementation must replace– Gradual planning to meet ‘priority areas’ mindset
Democratize Technology
Nigeria is a business haven, despite….: Proof
MISREPRESENTATIONS CLARIFIEDSubject Matter Perception
(As stated in at least one publication somewhere)
Reality
(Reliance on TAA studies)
Telephone Subscriber Base 78 million subscribers 78 million active mobile telephone lines 78 million SIM Cards
78million SIM Cards issued, Actual No of users yet to be determined On going SIM Card Registration ATCON has called for Telephone Subscriber Registration to replace SIM Card Registration
ARPU and its decline Declining for reason of Economic downturn, Declining for reason of over-networked Environment
Declining due to poor Q0S
Telephone subscription slowed down in 2009
For reason of economic downturn, For reason of poor quality of service, For reason of diminished interest of subscribers in offered telephone service
The euphoria is overCost is high vis-à-vis income
Dominance Operator ‘A’ is dominating by reason of its
expressed subscriber baseThe GSM Mobiles are dominating others
There is no Dominance
Submarine Fibre for International Traffic
NITEL's monopoly (SAT3) ended in 2009 NITEL's monopoly ended in 2010
MISREPRESENTATIONS CLARIFIED (Cont’d)
Sectoral application of ‘e’ resources
•Oil & Gas sector applies ‘e’ best•Finance sector applies ‘e’ best•Evangelism sector applies ‘e’ best
• Banking sector applies ‘e’ best
Broadband Access NITEL’s SAT 3 capacity is huge NITEL doing only a fraction of the available capacity
Wire Nigeria - WiN WIN is talk without actionNCC has done nothing
• Win never meant that NCC was to construct infrastructure.
• At least 3 major Win Implementors did very well• 11 other Transmission Licenses were issued to
encourage widespread availability of backbone infrastructure.
• 9 licenses issues:1. Nepskom Nigeria Ltd 2. MTS Nigeria Ltd3. Suburban Telecoms4. Backbone Connectivity Networks 5. Traffic Network Services6. Phase3 Telecom7. Fibre Tech West Africa8. Alheri Engineering Ltd9. Gateway Integrated Services
Other issues
Dys -Functional Education Probity in public service Investment in Research & Development
Our Communication Laws Have been on the upward journey NCA 2003 improved Decree 75 of 1992 very significantly NCA 2003 begs for review To make NCC act faster Strengthen NCC independence (administrative and financial)
DANGER : NCC’s independence is being threatened
WHAT MAKES THE MARKET ATTRACTIVE?
A huge Demand 120m inhabitants may still not have phones Saturation claim may be a fallacy
An independent, professional Regulator
National Communications Act 2003
guarantees independence of the regulatorAll Auctions of Frequencies have been
Transparent and acclaimedThe Regulator has contested official interference
Next level is speedy
penalty for infringementsRecent interference not endemic. Neither systemic
An emerging ICT Industry Government is reviewing a Report on the subject. Civil Societies, Professional groups, trade associations are mounting pressures.
Review of Communications Policy
On going.
SAT3, GLO1 MAINONE should complement ‘In the nation’s interest’ is everybody’s
interest A Stimulus Funding to spread broad band
required is contemplated for push by ATCON.
Recommendations
Short term Everything we will achieve specifically in the industry and in the nation at large will be
underpinned by adequate power supply which, in turn, is underpinned by real and true reform of the power industry. To this end, and under the auspices of the NIEEEE, using all the resources at its disposal, we recommend the following:
That the NIEEE revoke the ghost of 1992, by assembling a team of knowledgeable and concerned personnel who have the wherewithal to make Connecting the Last Man a reality. The significant difference from 18 years ago must be that this team must be interdisciplinary – a broad tent to engineers, lawyers, economists and business.
An implementation of the recommendations of Engr. John Ayodele who, I venture to say, has recommended true and sincere liberalization of the electricity power sector.
A pursuit of the Liberalization Agenda in the power sector in a manner similar although not exactly as obtained in the telecommunications sector:
A call on the National Assembly to ban the use of individual generating sets for the purpose of living of all public servants in their official houses without any exception. That is to say from Mr. President/Commander- in -Chief to any Nigerian public servant in all capacities and at all levels of government.
Recommendations… Short Term
The collation of a comprehensive and reliable database of existing telephone lines and who they serve by way of conducting a Telephone Subscriber Registration. (Not a SIM Card Registration) whose cause must be seen and canvassed for everybody’s understanding and not and ad-hoc exercise of an emergency law.
A review of the USPF to include the outlet of a Telecommunications Development Bank, TDB, which will serve to put the utilization of the FUND on a business path? The USPF is in chains. Those who are making effort to access it all think that the FUND is cheap money waiting to be used to help their businesses while those who are administering it think only those who do not contribute to it should have access to it. It calls for re-orientation on all fronts.
A unification of the telecommunications, broadcasting and computer industry to a true Information communication technology, ICT, industry.
Establishment of a Stimulus Fund which, in addition to the USPF, may be accessible through the TDB.
An insistence that whichever bidder eventually holds NITEL’s First National Operator License must deliver the Long Distance Transmission component of the license, first and foremost, failing which another Third National Operator be licensed not later than 2013.
Long term
In the long term, we recommend that we put forward proposals with a cost/benefit analysis which actions we expect to truly translate our ideas into the reality of connecting every Nigerian to the telephony system that is efficient, reliable and affordable.
Again, we call on The NIEEE, using all the resources available to, it to pursue the review of education curriculum to include:
All primary school leavers to master typing to the 30 words per minute as their graduating minimum
Curricular of training in Universities to deliberately have our industry in mind and to dynamically respond as such and
A new postgraduate curriculum which shall research into information and communications technology and its administration and from it a deliberate mandate that paths to our long term objective of meeting 452,311,182 mobile telephone lines in 2040 be undertaken and its result form part of our implementation agenda.
There is nothing new in all of the above, as they have been proposed in some guise, at one time or the other. The emphasis is on sincerely implementing them.
My Frustrations revisited
As Chairman of NIEEE in 1996, I argued that our electricity power management would benefit from a truly liberalized industry in the manner that we had in telecommunications three years earlier, regardless of our arduous journey which was erratic and blighted with false dawns. I held the view that sooner rather than later, we would turn around the fortunes in our telecommunications, but I remain fearful that the shift stick of progress that had been in D (Drive) will sooner or later, be stuck in N (Neutral) or even R (Reverse) if we do not replicate what we have done in the electricity industry sector. I avoided seeking re-election after my first term out of the frustration of not being allowed to visit the then NEPA General Manager, whom I had wanted to convey my worries and examine his reasons for not embracing a true liberalization agenda.
As Vice-President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers in 1999, I argued that the Nigerian engineers did not value and recognize their own worth first in their failure to acknowledge themselves as central in all aspects of our growth and also for not doing enough to even acclaim their own achievers. An Austrian Philosopher once said ‘Knowledge is in the end based on acknowledgement.’ I thought we might start by holding a technical lecture to celebrate every past President of NSE that attained 70 years, every active NSE member that attained 80 years and every registered engineer that attained 90 years. I thought my proposition was accepted when the NSE celebrated the birthday of Engr. Rev P. B Oyebolu with a lecture.
Conclusion
Please, remember that the highest expression of appreciation is not just to speak words, but to live by them.
