BusinessAllaying Fears On Health Impact of 5G Mobile Network

Allaying Fears On Health Impact of 5G Mobile Network

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December 12, (THEWILL) – ANTHONY AWUNOR writes on the impact of 5G network on public health and safety

At the Senate Public hearing of February 25, 2021, the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy (FMoCDE), Prof Isa Pantami, made an effort to allay the fears of Nigerians on the deployment of the 5G mobile network in the country. He said there was no known scientific evidence that 5G technology posed any risk to public health and safety.

Corroborating the minister, the Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, also said that, with all available information, nothing had been able to show that masts were dangerous to public health.

Speaking at a media capacity-building workshop tagged, ‘5G Technology and The Next Level of Nigeria’s Development,’ Prof Danbatta, who was represented by the Head, Fixed Network and Converged Services Unit of NCC, Mr Anthony Ikemefuna, noted that if masts were dangerous to health, most Nigerians would have been adversely affected right from the days of 1G, 2G and 3G moble networks.

He stressed that the radiation from the “090” network used in the late 1980s, was even more than what we have today.

The workshop, organised by the NCC in partnership with The Cable Newspaper created an opportunity for experts to deliberate on the deployment of 5G technology in Nigeria and its impact on the nation’s socio-economic development. Health and safety issues around the deployment of the technology were also dissected.

In his paper titled, ‘Setting The Stage for 5G Journey; Requirements, Deployment and Challenges,’ Danbatta averred that it was not true that the COVID-19 pandemic was triggered by the 5G mobile network as rumoured in some quarters.

Explaining the impact of the 5G network on human health, the EVC said, “There are no specifically proven evidence of any negative impact on human health associated with radiation from mobile networks, including 5G”.

“The following organisations: World Health Organisation (WHO), UK Advisory Group and Non-ionising Radiation (AGNIR), The Institute for Engineering and Technology (IET), International Commission for Non-ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIP) were very clear to the effect that radiation from mobile networks and devices, including 5G, has no known or scientifically proven negative health impact”.

Giving the assurance that electromagnetic radiation emission from the 5G mobile network is far safer than the preceding generations of mobile networks, Danbatta added, “Given the densification of cell sites that will arise as a result of 5G deployment, the Commission will need to effectively collaborate with other relevant government agencies, such as the National Assembly (NASS), the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) towards sensitising and educating the general public on the low health impact of 5G base stations.”

Also presenting his paper, which was focused on ‘20 Years of GSM Revolution In Nigeria,’ NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Dr Ikechukwu Adinde, maintained that telecommunication is an essential infrastructural component that promotes the development of other sectors, including agriculture, education, industry, health, banking, defence, transportation and tourism.

Adinde, who was represented by the Head, Online Media and Special Publication, NCC, Dr Omoniyi Ibietan, listed the commission’s challenges to include vandalism, multiple taxation, right of way issues, indiscriminate shut down of facilities, Insecurity, power, etc.

Adinde said, “It is not yet uhuru for us in the industry. There are challenges facing the telecom sector. Nigeria needs to maintain its leadership position in the digital drive. This is one of the reasons why the Commission is engaging with you as a strategic partner in the industry, as we express our commitment to advancing the digital transformation for the overall benefit of our beloved country.”

In his presentation, the Publisher of Political Economist, Mr Ken Ugbechie, who spoke on ‘The Role of The Media in The Deployment of 5G in Nigeria’ advised the media to dismantle all conspiracy theories boldly and loudly and reassure the Nigerian audiences that if 1G did not give them malaria, 2G did not birth diarrhoea, 3G did not produce pneumonia or 4G HIV there is no way 5G could be the causative agent of the coronavirus, cancer or autism.

“But I must admit that the Nigerian media has not done enough to disabuse the mind of skeptics that there is no relationship between 5G and COVID-19. This surely underscores how unimportant the media rates this misplaced theory. Yet, it bears restating that conspiracy theorists have been unrelenting in pushing across their baseless and unfounded falsehood.

“Even more disturbing is the attitude of some religious leaders, who without any empirical, scientific or technical evaluation, latched on to the theory and helped to massively, across various platforms, sell lies and total falsehood to unsuspecting adherents of their faith.

“A particular popular televangelist was vehement in his propagation of the falsehood that the underground fibre optic cabling project across Lagos State for much of last year was meant to plant the coronavirus in every neighbourhood.

“Today, December 9, 2021, several months after the cables were laid, the coronavirus has not overrun Lagos or killed Lagosians in their thousands.”

About the Author

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Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.

Anthony Awunor, THEWILLhttps://thewillnews.com
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.

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