USP SECRETARIAT (USPS) EDUCATIONAL PRESENTATION TO VISITING STUDENTS OF USMAN DANFODIO UNIVERSITY, SOKOTO By the Director/Secretary, Universal Service Provision Secretariat   May 2011

CONTENT INTRODUCTION VISION/MISSION OF THE USPF THE MANDATE OF UNIVERSAL SERVICE PROVISION FUND (USPF) GOALS AND STRATEGY PROJECT ELIGIBILITY CONCLUSIONS

INTRODUCTION The Nigerian Communications Commission Why was the Commission established What are its functions The Telecommunications Industry The Federal Government (including the National Assembly) The Operators (Network Operators, Valued Added/Service Providers, Infrastructure Providers etc) The Guiding Instruments The Constitution of the Federal Republic The Nigerian Communications Act No. 19 of 2003 The National Telecommunications Policy Universal Access and Universal Service Regulations 2007

INTRODUCTION The Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) No 19 of 2003, Part IV detail the Universal Service Provision in Nigeria. Section 115 establishes the USP Board with the mandate to supervise and provide broad policy directions for the management of the USP Fund. Section 118 establishes the USP Secretariat and states that it shall reside in the Commission (NCC) and shall be responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Universal Service Provision. The Universal Access and Universal Service Regulation 2007 Section (2) states that “The ultimate objectives of the system of universal access and universal service provision described in sub-paragraph (1) of the regulation are to: promote greater social equity and inclusion for the people of Nigeria; and Contribute to national economic, social and cultural development of Nigeria Section 48 of the regulation states “ USP Projects shall be award to one or more bidders, as the case may be, using a competitive selection process designed and implemented by the USP Secretariat in accordance with these Regulations

INTRODUCTION The Universal Service Provision Fund (“USPF”) was established by the Federal Government of Nigeria to facilitate the achievement of national policy goals for universal service and universal access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) in rural, un-served and under-served areas in Nigeria. The USP Secretariat carries out the general statutory mandate of the NCC on Universal Access and Universal Service by:   ‘… promoting the widespread availability and usage of network services and application services throughout Nigeria by encouraging the installation of network facilities and the provision of network services and applications services to institutions and in unserved, underserved areas or for underserved groups within the community’

INTRODUCTION The USPF became operational in August 2006 with the inauguration of the Board. The Board of the USPF approved a Strategic Plan 2007 – 2011 which consists of five (5) broad goals to promote the widespread availability and usage of network and applications services throughout Nigeria (including unserved, underserved areas or for underserved groups within the community) The Core Values, on which USPF activities are predicated upon are: Professionalism Integrity Innovation Commitment

INTRODUCTION Every May 17, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), an organ of the United Nations, celebrates the World Telecommunications Day. The purpose of World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD) is to help raise awareness of the possibilities that the use of the Internet and other information and communication technologies (ICT) can bring to societies and economies, as well as of ways to bridge the digital divide. Therefore, tomorrow, May 17, 2011 will be celebrated as the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day with the theme ‘Better life in rural communities with ICTs’

INTRODUCTION ICTs are increasingly in demand to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In the rural context, ICTs provide enhanced opportunities to generate income and combat poverty, hunger, ill health and illiteracy. The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), which met in Geneva in 2003 and in Tunis in 2005, called upon countries to consider establishing national mechanisms to achieve universal access in underserved rural areas in order to bridge the digital divide. The Universal Service Provision Fund is committed to connecting the unserved, underserved and rural communities and to ensure that the benefits of ICTs reach the remotest corners of Nigeria. What do you think is your role, especially after your study trip to the Nigerian Communications Commission?

VISION/MISSION OF THE USPF ICT access for all Mission To achieve universal coverage and universal service through a public-private partnership framework that stimulates economic and social development, private sector investment and market-based provision of basic affordable and quality ICT infrastructure and services to unserved and underserved areas, communities and populations.

MANDATE OF UNIVERSAL SERVICE PROVISION FUND The mandate of the Universal Service Provision Fund include the following:- Create an enabling environment by raising public awareness on the uses and benefits of ICTs, building capacity amongst communities to participate in and take advantage of economic opportunities in ICT. Contribute to national economic and social development through enhancing the universal accessibility and availability of telecommunications and ICT infrastructure and services Facilitate the provision of infrastructural development to unserved, underserved and rural areas in non-discriminatory manner.

MANDATE OF UNIVERSAL SERVICE PROVISION FUND Promote competition in ICT services delivery. Promote technological innovation in ICT services delivery. Ensure effective utilization of funds to leverage investments in rural communications. Support the establishment of efficient, self sustaining, market-oriented businesses, which will continue to expand access to ICTs infrastructure and services. Use ICT to promote greater social equity and inclusion for all the people of Nigeria. Foster the adoption and use of methods of attaining greater universal access and universal service.

GOALS AND STRATEGY The 5 broad goals and some programmes within each goal are: Goal #1: To facilitate an Enabling Environment for ICT Research Studies/Surveys Research on Infrastructure gap using GIS mapping ICT penetration analysis using recently released census figures Consultation and awareness creation Regional Consultative Stakeholders for a Focused Industry Strategic Sessions Consultation with other government agencies on constraints to ICT roll-out Goal #2: To promote Universal Access Facilitate community access to basic telephony, internet and broadband services. Base Transceiver Station (BTS) Collocation Infrastructure Project (CIP) Solar-Powered Base Transceiver Station (Solar-BTs) Community Communications Centre (CCC)

Goal #3: To promote Universal Coverage Connection to the national transmission backbone infrastructure programme Backbone Transmission Infrastructure (BTRAIN) Rural Broadband Initiative (RUBI) Goal #4: To facilitate Connectivity for Development (C4D) School Access Programme (SAP) Tertiary Institution Access Programme (TiAP) E-Learning (E-Library) Goal #5: To enable Institutional Development USPF sustainability programme Procedural Manual Development Corporate Governance Strategy Fund Management System Monitoring and Evaluation

GOALS AND STRATEGY The strategies: Grants and Subsidies through Public-Private-Peoples Partnerships (PPPP) are designed to achieve: AVAILABILITY: ICT services should be accessed by consumers every time (24×7), even if it is public access. AFFORDABILITY: Prices of ICT services (within a universal service programme) should be such that a greater part of the population can pay ACCESSIBILITY: The geographic distribution of ICT services points of presence should be as close as possible to the consumers, including persons living with disabilities. SUSTAINABILITY: ICT services/applications within the UA/US programmes shall be managed/maintained in a mechanism that ensures consumers benefit from the programme over a long period - forever AWARENESS/EMPOWERMENT: UA/US programmes are designed to promote awareness of the importance and uses of ICT. The programmes should also help improve the socio-economic activities of the rural communities.

USPF Project Eligibility The USPF will finance “top-down” proposals developed by the USPF as well as ‘bottom-up” proposals developed by operators, private sector, communities, NGOs and other government entities. To be eligible for USPF financing all proposals must meet certain criteria that are consistent with the USPF Principles and presented in a standard format. A major criterion is that the project must be located in an unserved and/or underserved community, population groups etc The bottom-up concept was initiated to encourage State Governments, individuals, communities and public participation in USP projects implementation process especially in identifying, suggesting and initiating the type and kind of projects that require USP funding and greatly impact on universal service provisioning.

CONCLUSIONS Developing effective ways to extend access to telecommunications and ICT services to poor and remote communities and to the unserved and underserved areas of Nigeria is the challenge the USPF confronts. The low incomes, the small size of communities, and the large investments required because of the lack of infrastructure backbone (and in some cases inhospitable terrain) are all key issues in designing viable options for universal access. Through all of this, the goal of the USPF remains the same, simply to bridge the gap between the information rich and the information poor and to enable user-friendly and affordable access to ICT facilities and services for every Nigerian regardless of the region of the country they reside hence creating an enabling environment to drive socio-economic development in the country. This goal is achievable and measurable and in the bid to attain them, the USPF has developed, implemented and continues to implement the programmes laid out above.   It is the belief of the USP Management that the World Summit of Information Society (WSIS) declaration – Everyone, everywhere should have the opportunity to participate and no one should be excluded from the benefits the Information Society offers – is attainable in Nigeria. THANK YOU