Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Mr Isa Ali Pantami, has said that the Federal Government has not issued any license for Fifth Generation Mobile Networks (5G) in Nigeria.

The Minister who said this in a press statement yesterday, in reaction to rumours making the rounds on social media, noted that his office has not deliberated on or released any bulk frequency spectrum for the deployment of 5G.

Many Nigerians had taken to social media to speak against the deployment of 5G in Nigeria, believing that the technology had already been deployed in the country. Many people spoke with concern as the 5G technology is rumored to be unsafe to human health and has not been proven otherwise.

Pantami addressed the fears of Nigerians in his statement, saying: “The National Frequency Management Council (NFMC), of which I am the chairman, has not deliberated on or released any bulk frequency spectrum for the deployment of 5G; no license has been issued for the deployment of 5G in the country.

“A 3-month study trial commenced on the 25th of November, 2019 in order to critically review and study the health and security implications of deploying 5G in Nigeria. As part of the study trial process, I directed Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to ensure that a team of experts, security agencies and other stakeholders fully participate in the trial process and my office also invited these agencies to participate in the trial and the trial process has been concluded and the study and reporting process is currently ongoing.

“President Muhammadu Buhari places a premium on the welfare, health and security of Nigerians. As such, our desire for technological advancement will never be at the expense of the health and welfare of our citizens,” Pantami explained.

Sun