By Harry Awurumibe, Head, ABUJA BUREAU
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami has debunked the insinuation that the Federal Government of Nigeria has given approval for the deployment of the new telecommunications technology, Five Generation (5G) Network.
Speaking in a private television network news, “Channels News At 10” this Sunday, Pantami revealed that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari has not given anyone an approval to deploy 5G network in Nigeria.
According to the Minister who is an expert in Information Communication Technology (ICT) disclosed that Nigeria is not in a hurry to join the 5G train, insisting that what has been in operation in the country is the 2 to 4G networks.
He however said that government through his office late last year set up a panel of experts coordinated by the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) to furnish it with a detailed report after it had carried out a test on the 5G deployment last November.
Asked to allay the fears of Nigerians who are apprehensive of the effects of 5G networks on humans as being speculated in the social media, Pantami argued that there is no scientific proof that 5G network is the cause of the novel Coronavirus pandemic ravaging the world including Nigeria.
He stressed that no fewer than 16 relevant agencies including health experts are involved in putting together the report which will be submitted to him and until the report gets to the Federal Government under President Buhari no decision will be made on the issues.
