Telecoms giant MTN has gotten a N221 million waiver permit from the Kano State government following the intervention of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). The waiver will allow the operator to complete a network infrastructure upgrade and fibre layout in the state.
According to media report, some staff of Huawei who were working on the telecommunication infrastructure expansion in Kano on behalf of MTN, were arrested by the officials of the Kano State Urban Planning and Development Authority (KANUPDA).
This prompted the intervention of the commission whose head, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, subsequently visited the State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and the government magnanimously waived the permit fee of N221million for the deployment of fibre infrastructure in the state.
Danbatta was said to have convinced the Governor about the economic advantages that the state stands to gain from the deployment of more telecommunication infrastructure as well the potential quality of service issues that millions of service subscribers would face if the work was further delayed.
In a letter signed by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, KANUPDA, Bashir Mudi Adamu, and addressed to MTN, the agency, however, said the waiver of permit fees was granted in respect of two federal roads, Zaria Road and Maiduguri Road in the state.
