Umar Danbatta (pictured), Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), announced on 28 October 2019 the launch of the 5G trial phase by telecom operators. Speaking on the sidelines of the 2019 Mobile and Disruptive Technology (MoDITECH) Forum held in Lagos, he said the operation will last three months.

“Today, Nigeria has started a test run of 5G, the latest technology for delivering broadband services and such other services like Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI). The trial will last for three months. Nigeria hopes to join other countries which are in a rush to deploy the 5G technology because of its immense promise for digital communication,” said Umar Danbatta.

For communications minister, Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, the 5G tests will first help spot potential threats and establish a proper deployment policy, not directly lead to the introduction of the technology.

“Before we will launch a 5G network in the country, we need to do pre-deployment checks and post-deployment checks. We are working to handle the challenges of pre-deployment,” the minister explained.