"We Are Working On The Deployment Of 5G To Handle Security, Health Issues" - Communications Minister

“We are working on the deployment of 5G to handle security, health issues” – Communications Minister

– as report shows 5G is not hazardous

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has allayed the fears of Nigerians on the deployment of Fifth Generation (5G) technology in Nigeria.

He clarified that there is no known scientific evidence till date suggesting that 5G poses any risks to public health and safety.

Pantami stated this when he led the heads of agencies under his ministry to an investigative public hearing by the Senate Joint Committee on Communications; Science and Technology; Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Cyber Crimes; and Primary Health Care and Communicable Diseases, at the National Assembly Chamber in Abuja on Thursday, February 25, 2021.

Speaking at the public hearing, Pantami affirmed that the findings from independent scientific reports published by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), clearly indicated that 5G does not pose any health risk to human lives.

The Minister said after the initial approval by the President which led to the commencement of the 5G trial in selected locations across the country.

The Ministry had consulted widely to ascertain the safety of 5G networks in the country.

Pantami explained that, having aligned with the ITU and WHO reports and studied 5G deployment situations in many advanced countries where it has been fully deployed without any health risks, the ministry can affirmatively say that there is no health risks to 5G networks.

“To this end, we are also working on a 5G deployment policy that will take care of all security, health and safety concerns of Nigerians and we will get the nod of the President, after all issues have been addressed before we proceed with our deployment, as we cannot afford to lag behind in the 5G revolution,” he said.

The Minister clarified that 5G is an enhanced technology over the previous technologies of 4G, 3G and 2G, the three of which have more radiations than the 5G technology.

He added that the “radiation from mobile technologies such as 5G is internationally certified by ITU and WHO as non-ionising, meaning such radiation does not have harmful effect on human lives and it is far low compared with radiation from microwave oven that individuals use in their homes.”