The Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) has said that it recognises the importance of clean energy usage in the telecommunications sector, and is committed to promoting regulatory initiatives that would encourage the adoption of renewable and ethical energy sources.

Determined to address the negative impact of climate change with the incessant emission of carbon energy by operators in telecom industry, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has revealed a strategic plan to phase out the use of fossil fuels in the industry.

Consequently, NCC said it is prepared to adopt alternative clean energy in the telecom sector as a sustainable solution to fossil fuels.

The resolve for a clean energy source for powering electricity supply in the industry was part of NCC’s goals to safeguard the environment for telecom consumers and contribute to the global achievement of net-zero emissions.

Addressing a roundtable of academia, operators, and other critical players in the industry in Kano, NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Professor Umar Garba Danbatta explained that part of his vision at the commission is to introduce ethical energy sourcing.

Professor Danbatta noted that such plan will serve as a guide for telecom service providers to adopt clean and sustainable energy supply which would reduce their carbon footprint while paving ways to greener atmospheric condition.

The NCC boss however contended that, to achieve the objective, the commission requires collaboration and partnership of Academia and other stakeholders largely in the areas of advance research and innovation.

He said the exploits emanating from the stakeholders would guide in the development of feasible alternative source of clean energy that operators would leverage upon.

As part of measures to actualize the framwork, Professor Danbatta hinted that NCC is presently supporting researchers with grants in three universities in Nigeria with special project focucing on geothermal energy, hydrogen and fuel cells for telecommunications equipments.

Danbatta was optimistic that by aligning research efforts towards alternative clean energy sources and leveraging digital technology, Nigeria can revolutionize the telecom sector, that will profoundly impact on areas such as education, healthcare, agriculture and e-commerce.

He expressed confident that discussions and ideas generated during the roundtable will serve as a catalyst for transformative research and innovation in the telecommunications sector..

“Firstly, we aim to refocus future academic research towards feasible alternative sources of clean energy that can be harnessed by the telecom industry. It is essential to identify and explore new technologies, such as solar, wind, and biomass, that can power our communications infrastructure efficiently and sustainably.

“We need your research to help us understand the potential of these alternative energy sources, address their challenges and develop strategies for their implementation in the telecom sector. Secondly, we seek to promote research in Academia that leverages digital technology to improve the livelihoods Nigerians.

“The telecom sector is at the forefront of digital transformation and we must harness it’s potential to enhance the lives of our citizens. Research in areas such as smart grids, energy storage, and energy management systems can pave the way for innovative solutions that optimize energy consumption, reduce cost, and increase access to reliable communication service.”