Governor Uzodinma Signs Executive Order, Slashes RoW From N4500 to N145

An Executive order was has been signed by the Imo state Governor, Hope Uzodinma, reducing the Right of Way (ROW) of telecommunication companies in the state.

Kayode Fayemi, the Ekiti State governor who is also the Chairman of the Governors’ Forum, signed an Executive Order reducing the Right of Way charges for telecommunication infrastructure by 97 per cent from N4,500 to N145 per linear metre.

The Executive Order No. 002, 2020 signed by Uzodimma will also see the Right of Way Charges for telecom operators in the state slashed from N4500 to N145 per meter as stipulated by a federal government policy.

The development is contained in a statement signed by the State Commissioner for Information, Declan Emelumba.

The Commissioner explained that the reduction was a manifestation of the state government’s determination to spur the telecommunication companies to further invest in broadband infrastructure and trigger ancillary on-line services, especially in the field of education.

Recall, few months back, the Nigerian Governors Forum unanimously resolved to address the lingering issue of Right of Way, RoW, charges in a bid to deepen broadband penetration in the country and promote a Digital Economy for a Digital Nigeria.

The resolution was followed by a presentation made by Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, during a meeting with the forum.

As a result, the Chairman of the Governors’ Forum, Kayode Fayemi stated that there will no longer be any need to appeal to the Governors on the issue of RoW.

On his part, the Imo State government according to the statement said it hopes the drastic reduction from N4500 of the broadband ROW to N145 per line meter of fibre, “will accelerate the deployment of affordable, and reliable modern high speed connectivity in the state”.

The Executive Order urged telecommunication companies to note that the state plays host to a vibrant youthful demography located in many tertiary institutions, who form the bulk of the end users of their products