The Federal Government has approved N653.89m for the purchase and deployment of spectrum monitoring system in the country, with special emphasis on the South-Eastern part of the country.
Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, told journalists in Abuja on Wednesday that decision for the sake of national security.
According to him, the approval was given at a meeting of the Federal Executive Council presided over by the President, Muhammadu Buhari.
The minister said investigation carried out in the five geo-political zones of the country revealed that out of the 320 frequencies in use, 106 were illegal.
He said the government would fish out those responsible for the illegal frequencies and that they would face the full weight of the law.
He said, “The Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy sought the approval of council for deployment of hybrid spectrum monitoring system, most importantly to focus on the south-eastern zone of the country.
“From January to August 2020, within the period of eight months, we discovered 320 frequencies being used all over the country and of this 320, 106 are illegal.
“This is very worrisome because the usage of these illegal spectrums or frequencies will compromise our security and safety in the country.
“We discovered that our monitoring did not cover the South-East. It covered five zones – North-East, North-West, North-Central, South-West and South-South. However, South East has not been covered.”
He added, “We presented our memo, seeking for council’s approval of N653,886,584 to procure and deploy hybrid spectrum monitoring system that will cover the southern part of the country, most importantly the South-East.”
Pantami said with the approval, the project would go a long way in promoting safety and security; identifying the usage of illegal spectrum; and enhancing revenue for the Federal Government
