Telecommunication Masts Are Not Harmful – Minister

There is no empirical evidence that telecommunication masts emit harmful substances, the Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, said in Abuja recently.

She newsmen that notwithstanding that position, the ministry and regulatory bodies in the telecommunication and environment sectors would ensure that infrastructure was not erected in harmful manner.

She said: “The Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) is also doing some advocacy around whether or not the base stations are harmful because there are a lot of researches that had been done by the WHO, the UN and different other agencies.

“As at today, there is no empirical evidence that emissions from base stations cause harm.’’

Johnson told newsmen that the commission and other agencies would continue to act with caution so as not to endanger the health and safety of the environment and those of people living close to the masts and to other telecommunication infrastructure.

The NCC and the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) had been involved in the flexing of muscles over who had the statutory mandate to seal a base station that did not comply with safety regulations.

Johnson said that the ministry was working with the NCC and NESREA to streamline their functions.

She added that the move would help to fashion out a uniform regulation for the siting of telecommunication base stations in the country.

The minister explained that the NCC was in charge of regulating the telecommunication industry while NESREA had a role to play in ensuring that telecommunication facilities and other infrastructure were positioned in ways that were not harmful to the environment.

She said: “NCC is in charge of the regulation of base station mast, NCC is a regulator for the telecommunication; industry there is no question about that.