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Tag: NCC

  • NCC rejigs for operational efficiency, senior staff redeployed

    NCC rejigs for operational efficiency, senior staff redeployed

    Two directors of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Alhassan Haru and Mr. Efosa Idehen have been respectively redeployed to man the Technical Standards and Network Integrity (TSNI), and the Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement (CME) departments of the Commission.

    According to a statement released by Reuben Muoka, NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, this is in a move to further enhance operational efficiency and sustain regulatory excellence.

    In an exercise approved by the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, other senior staff of NCC were moved to head critical departments, following the recent retirement of some directors, who reached 60 years of age.

    Dr. Haru, hitherto Director, New Media and Information Security (NMIS), takes over from retiring director Engr Bako Wakil at the TSNI department, which oversees the maintenance of international standards and integrity of the national network, including quality of service (QoS) and equipment type approval.

    Idehen, who was once the director at CME, returns to a familiar turf where he was nicknamed ‘Efosa, the Enforcer’ after a stint at the Consumer Affairs Bureau (CAB). He takes over from Mr. Ephraim Nwokonneya, who has also commenced his retirement leave. The CME department monitors the industry and enforces compliance with industry rules of engagement.

    At the Projects Department of the Commission, from where Mrs. Iyabo Sholanke retired, Mr. Philip Eretan, Deputy Director, was appointed Head, while Mr. Kelechi Nwankwo, another deputy director, took over as head, Corporate Planning Strategy and Risk Management, (CPSRM),  a  position left by erstwhile director, Mr. Felix Adeoye.

    Dr. Chidi Diugwu, deputy director at NMIS, took over from Haru as head of the department. Mrs. Safiya Jijji has assumed duty as Ag. Head, Zonal Operations, following the retirement of the erstwhile director, Mrs. Amina Shehu.

    Another deputy director, Banji Ojo, takes over from Idehen as Head, CAB.

    NCC boss, in the redeployment, charged the new appointees to work in tandem with the Commission’s Strategic Management Plan (SMP) 2020-2024 and NCC’s Strategic Vision Implementation Plan (SVP) 2020-2025.

    The EVC further assured industry stakeholders of the Commission’s determination to provide essential regulatory supports to consolidate on the growth already recorded in the industry.

    According to him, the NCC will continue to put round pegs in round holes to sustain its operational efficiency and regulatory excellence.

  • Nairaxi wins NCC’s young innovators’ competition

    Nairaxi wins NCC’s young innovators’ competition

    Mobile ridesharing app that enables users to request taxi and bus rides known as Nairaxi has emerged as the overall winner of the young innovators’ competition organized by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the young innovators’ competition was held at the Digital Bridge Institute, Oshodi, Lagos recently.

    Nairaxi, which won the coveted prize of N2 million, according to the app developers, enhances rideshare and safe delivery of packages.

    The company is made up of Kingsley Eze, Co-Founder/Chief Executive Officer and Elizabeth Omale, Co-Founder and Chief Financial Officer.

    They pitched their app to an audience made up of top officials of NCC led by the Director of Research and Development, Mr. Ismaila Adedigba who represented the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta.

    Meanwhile, Floews, established by Bashir Abubakar as Founder and Chief Executive Officer, came second and won a prize of N1.5 million.

    Thronix Lab, comprising three young tech-savvy Nigerians, clinched the 3rd position with a prize of N1 million.

    TNG reports all the contestants were adjudged on the criteria of originality, innovativeness, simplicity of usage and commercialization potential of their IT products, among others.

    Floews developed novel and deep-tech all-round solution that monitors and forecasts flood and thereby, disseminates the forecast as an early-warning intelligence.

    Thronix Lab developed Proxie, an Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled smart socket and Wi-Fi hotspot range extender, which enables users to switch on/off their appliances connected to it remotely through their phones.

    Prof Mohammed Ajiya, who chaired the panel of judges for the competition, commended the Commission for providing the opportunity for young Nigerians to achieve their dreams of leveraging digital solutions to address local challenges in Nigeria.

    Speaking on behalf of the EVC, Adedigba commended all the 15 contestants that participated, and the panel of judges for the “commendable diligence, thorough and painstaking evaluation carried out by his team of independent judges, leading to the emergence of the three winners”.

    He assured of the Commission’s commitment to continue to drive the Federal Government agenda of promoting indigenous ICT solutions development towards strengthening the Nigerian digital ecosystem.

    “It is important to note that this competition is not the end, but rather the beginning of our collective journey towards bridging the digital divide in Nigeria.

    “We must continue to support and invest in local, indigenous digital solutions to ensure that all citizens have access to the technology and opportunities they need to thrive in today’s digital age,” Danbatta said.

    Ten innovators from the 15 proceeded to the Pitching Stage, for having developed the best technology solutions, amenable to commercialization and capable of solving identified challenges both locally and beyond in a move to bridge the country’s existing digital divide.

    The 15 contestants at the event are Curnance PTY, Floews, Lalita by 02 Innovations Lab, Brilliant ESystems, Afrits Innovation, CitiFlow, Natal Cares, Nairaxi, Rate AM, Fixbot Technologies, Betalife, Cyber Plural, TronixLab, Ntapi Inc., and Bycep by Bedoun.

  • Empowering telcos to reduce the pains of cashless policy – By Okoh Aihe

    Empowering telcos to reduce the pains of cashless policy – By Okoh Aihe

    On my birthday, my prayer for Nigeria is not a cashless crunch that sends nearly everybody to the very nadir of life, but a prayer that Nigerians feel the kind of verve and optimism that have enveloped me this day, and build the kind of hope and audacity that ridicule adversity. 

    Apart from a pervasive befuddlement across the nation arising from the bungling of a very brilliant policy, two stories which may be quite the experience of a number of people across the nation, occupy the very nerve of my thoughts this morning.

    Remember, it is my happy day, as I write, February 14, so, don’t share a tear. Instead have a good laugh because laughter has a way of bringing healing and replacing pain with sweet sensations. 

    Story one. I have a PoS (Point of Sale) or Mobile Money agent close to where I live. He would usually handle my little cash challenges and make life easier for an older person. On this very day, sometime last week, I did not see him for nearly a full day until he came late in the evening to try to execute some transfers. According to his story, he woke up at 3.30am in the morning, leaving his young wife at home to go and queue for cash in the bank. When he got to the ATM (automated teller machine), he was number 52; meaning some people may have gotten there hours before him. The machine dispensed cash to 30 people and stopped. He proceeded to another bank where his number was 15. The machine served only 3 people and stopped. All day, the young man roamed from one bank to another only to discover that luck can be a rarity in a season of government’s confusion. 

    Story two. Another PoS agent not very far away from where I live, to share in the grief and sorrow of those life has nearly forgotten, the very people whose resilience and amenability to the vagaries of life can proof useful lessons to curators of policies introduced on the wings of deus ex machina. Over a week ago, this young lady and her husband whose business used to enjoy some level of boom, suddenly started to stock iced soft drinks and doughnuts. What is the meaning of this, I asked. Oh a change in line of business while waiting for the situation to sort itself out. I don’t have to endanger the survival of my family, she vowed. How would they pay? Oh, through transfers. 

    This has become every man’s story, every woman’s story. Overnight, small businesses that form the corner pillar of any economy have vanished and the voices of those ordinary folks are too weak to be accommodated by the designers of policies aimed at putting Nigeria ahead of the rest of the world in a cashless commitment to modernity. 

    There is a concourse of opinions that the cashless policy of the government, promoted by the Central Bank governor, Godwin Emefiele, is not a bad one but only hurriedly introduced. It would therefore make sense for people of goodwill to rally together to save it from a sudden death that may be very damaging to the nation. 

    In the face of rising anger towards the policy, a couple of people told me within the past few days that two primary problems exist on the path of faithful implementation of the policy. The first is the scarcity of new Naira notes, which only the Central Bank governor can solve through accommodation of variegated opinions to achieve results, while the second is external, the absence of reliable communications backbone that can carry the plethora of services being introduced to the telecom networks. This remains a core problem, prompting a source to tell this writer that if the people in the city are witnessing acute difficulties occasioned by the new policy, those in the rural areas must be close to hell in their daily experiences. 

    Why would somebody be that despondent in summarising happenings in parts of the countryside? Just wait.

    An industry source told this writer that the biggest obstacle to the implementation of the cashless policy is the telecoms sector, whose infrastructure is challenged severely at the moment. The networks were not prepared for what is happening now and, as a result, they are stretched because of the volume of transactions. Services are slow and very frustrating because of the absence of capacity. However, there is a glimmer of hope as the telcos may have upgraded their capacity in some areas because they need a minimum of 3G network to transmit the election results. 

    A source within the regulatory authority, the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, corroborated that position when it said, “The transaction backbone is a complete mess. Your network is as good as the weakest link. You can have very good capacity in your radio access network but if your transmission is not good, it is a very big problem.”

    It doesn’t matter whether it is 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G or any other G you may want to add in order to boost your sense of achievement, the homogeneous thread is the transmission backbone which is presently very fickle. The fibre optics links between base stations form the most reliable backbone as against microwave which is very unreliable. 

    The more reason that the rural areas or even some of the underserved areas in the cities and the rural communities will suffer more is that most of these places are covered by 2G base stations which are not primed for data transactions. 

    Another NCC source lamented the failure of the InfraCos to bring relief to far-flung areas of the country. The Infrastructure Companies (InfraCos) concept was designed by the NCC to enable some companies, licensed on a regional basis, to provide fibre optics points of presence in all the 774 local government areas in the country. The market was divided into 7 regions, with Lagos designated as a market of its own because of its vast business opportunities. There was some counterpart fund for the companies, some kind of seed support specially set aside by the regulator. The operators were to bridge service gaps across the regions of the country. The laudable idea was comparable to the OpenReach of the UK which is managed by Ofcom, that country’s telecoms regulator. 

    Speaking in January 2015 at the presentation of an InfraCo license to MainOne Cable, former Executive Vice Chairman, EVC, Dr Eugene Juwah of blessed memory, had said: “When the 7 InfraCos finally come on board, they are expected to take broadband infrastructure from the ocean and connect them to the cities and hinterland across the country to make Internet ubiquitous in Nigeria. This will in turn impact positively on the economy.”

    Hopes were high then periscoping the telecoms future of this nation. But things happened. There were security challenges in parts of the north. The situation festered even more because some of the states of the federation saw telecom operations as low-hanging fruits to mobilise easy revenue, and therefore would not give right-of-way (RoW) except at premium price. Frustrated by their greed, IHS returned its license for North Central. 

    “We were supposed to bring point of service (PoS) to the 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs). That has not taken off at all,” my source fumed.

    Years later when the country created a cashless policy that should have been driven seamlessly by the telecom sector, it has suddenly turned out that, apart from the failure of the government to be fastidious in the planning and execution of such policy, the industry has its own challenges, that would make us feel some more pain in the implementation of a simple policy. 

    Remember, I am writing this on my birthday and therefore, no lamentations. What should we do? My source made three bold suggestions. One. The nation needs a bold and purposeful leadership that can fiberise the length and breadth of the country. Two. The Central Bank should create a special Forex window to enable telecom operators access funds for timely rollout of services instead of forcing them to the parallel market with all its uncertainties. Three. The security forces should provide cover for  operators as they try to roll out services or supply diesel to base stations. 

    Meanwhile, something urgent should be done to remove people from the present distress and desperation they are experiencing.

  • NCC says over 100m SIMs produced locally

    NCC says over 100m SIMs produced locally

    The Nigeria  Communications Commission  (NCC) says over 100 million  Subscribers  Identity Module (SIM) has so far been  produced locally within a year of the first Nigeria  Telecommunications  Indigenous  Content  Expo.

    This was made known by Aderonke Sola-Ogunsola, NCC’s Head of Financing and Stakeholders Engagement Team at this year’s AfricaNXT on Thursday  in Lagos.

    Sola-Ogunsola spoke on: Mandate and Strides Towards Full Digital Economy in Nigeria.

    She said that through  the Nigeria  Telecommunications  Indigenous  Content of the NCC,  the country  could serve as manufacturer of SIM in West Africa.

    According to her, over 100 millions of. SIMs have been ordered by various telecommunications  companies  putting an end to the importation of SIM and an attainment of a fully digital economy in Nigeria.

    Sola-Ogunsola said that at the 2022 indigenous  content expo in Lagos,  the Federal Government  banned the importation of SIMs

    She said that the Nigeria Telecommunications Indigenous Content  was put in place to encourage innovation among the youths and promote the digital  economy.

    ‘’There is  the need to ensure individuals, businesses, and the nation harness derivable benefits and the opportunities offered by the emergent digital culture, to improve quality of life, grow businesses, and leapfrog the national economy.

    ‘’This remains the overarching objective of government policies, plans, and strategies,” she said.

    The Head,  Digital Skills and Services, NCC, Freda Bruce-Bennett, said that Nigeria was rapidly  becoming  a digital economy.

    Bruce-Bennett  said that out  of seven unicorns  in Nigeria, Nigeria had five which were Andela, Flutterwave, Interswitch, Jumia and Opay

    According to her,  NCC is working with campuses and the National Youth  Service  Corp (NYSC) on how youths could  build their capacity.

    Head, Spectrum Administration, NCC Abraham Oshadami said that digital economy  could not  exist without  infrastructure because globally  infrastructure was the bedrock for adequate broadband penetration.

    Oshadami said that Nigeria  had taken the lead by providing  wireless resources because there were policies to deploy the infrastructure  and make them work.

    According  to him, Nigeria has done so well in the entire Africa by being at the  forefront of making resources available to provide high dosed broadband  leveraging  on satellite  and technology

    The ongoing  AfricaNXT, formerly called Social Media Week, is an annual event held in February.

    This year’s theme is: ‘’Cooperate. Collaborate. Innovate. Unlocking Our Potential, Ensuring Africa’s Prosperity”.

  • NCC urges CSOs to safeguard telecoms infrastructure in Nigeria

    NCC urges CSOs to safeguard telecoms infrastructure in Nigeria

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has called for the support of Civil Society Organisations to help safeguard telecommunications infrastructure in the country.

    The Executive Vice-Chairman, Prof. Umar Danbatta said this during the 2023 Youth, Civil Society and Stakeholders Summit on Curbing the Destruction and Vandalisation of Telecom and other Critical National Infrastructure in Nigeria on Thursday in Abuja.

    Danbatta, represented by Mr . Chukuma Nwaiwu, Head, Wireless Network, NCC, said the Commission receive reports of telecom infrastructure vandalisation from the telecom companies.

    He said these acts impact on the delivered quality of services and the availability of the digital platforms.

    According to him, some of the impacts includ:”Disruption of the network services and disconnection of digital platforms.

    “Congestion of alternative backup routes/networks. Interruption of social and economy activities, loss of revenue.

    “Ripple effects on other networks and network elements. Delay in network recovery.”

    On the upcoming general elections, Danbatta, said that technology would play a crucial and key role in delivering free and fair elections to Nigerians.

    He said that NCC was collaborating with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that election results were transmittecd electronically as required by law.

    Danbatta said: “We all have a duty to protect the national telecom infrastructure as such to benefit from the dividends of democracy and good governance.

    “The youth and CSOs as  critical stakeholders in the development process of any society have  dutest o educate the public of the importance of protecting telecom infrastructure located in their immediate vicinity.

    “The NCC and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) are collaborating to protect telecom infrastructure as a critical national asset and have signed an MoU n this regard.”

    He called on Nierians to join hands in protecting the national telecom infrastructure for the benefit of all.

    The Deputy President, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Musa Mohammed, said vandalising critically national infrastructure can only come from insensitivity, indiscipline and unpatriotic individuals.

    Mohammed said these individuals do not see the good intentions of the government towards making necessary provisions for the country.

    He urged CSOs to put all hands on the deck to work with security agencies to ensure that the vandals were reported and prosecuted accordingly.

    “Willful damage of roads, rail tracks and other critical infrastructure in our country is not only an act of wickedness, but an act of disregard for the country’s infrastructure.

    “We must all rise to fight against vandalism of national infrastructure because the damaging effects does not only affect an individual but all of us,” he urged.

    Earlier, the Director-General of National Council for Civil Society (NCCS) Mr Johnny Emmanuel, said the role of civil society in infrastructural development should not be undermined.

    Emmanuel said that the NCCS intended to train over 20,000 youth in each state to become volunteers to  access and monitor the state of vandalism across the country by working with security agencies.

    He urged the government, especially the national assembly to put it into law by enacting a bill of National Infrastructure Protection Trust Fund.

    “As law abiding citizens, it is our responsibility to telecom, power and other critical infrastructure within our environment and take ownership of it.

    “If you partner with the civil society, we will be able to create what we call civil society anti-vandal volunteers.

    “We intend to train over 20,000 youth in each state to become volunteers,” Emmanuel said.

  • NCC commended as AfricaNXT 2023 begins

    NCC commended as AfricaNXT 2023 begins

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), at the opening of the AfricaNext show at the Landmark Event Centre in Lagos, Monday, attracted industry commendation for its efficient regulatory processes that have given verve to the realisation of full digital economy in the country.

    Chief Executive Officer of CashToken Africa, Mr. Lai Labode, said the manner with which the Commission understands and supports the emergence of companies that have critical roles to play in actualising the dreams of the digital economy, promises that Nigeria will make the desired impact in the future of the country’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) development.

    Labode said NCC’s approach to transform the telecom industry and contribute to the Federal Government’s digital economy agenda was reflected in the diligence, speed and smartness in processing recent applications including that of CashToken, which, he said, had led to a major collaboration with Mobile Network Operators.

    Other participants also spoke about the demonstration of commitment to efficiency in NCC’s operations and attainment of excellence in regulatory oversight, a key item in the Commission’s extant Five-Point Agenda for transforming the telecom sector.

    CashToken Africa, operated by CeLD, is a Nigerian company advocating performance-based customer rewards and nudging firms to reward their customers with life-transforming rewards.

    He spoke at CashToken Africa’s forum at the 2023 AfricaNXT conference focused on, “Socially Smart Business Models: Universal Cash Reward, Direct Sales Gamification and Wealth Redistribution.”

    NCC is one of the sponsors and key agencies participating at AfricaNXT event and will take to the stands on Thursday, 9th February 2023, from 1.00pm-2.00pm, at the FutureNow Stage, with a theme that will focus on its mandates and efforts towards the realization of the digital economy agenda of the Federal Government.

  • A broadcast conversation unbroken by hermetic controls – By Okoh Aihe

    A broadcast conversation unbroken by hermetic controls – By Okoh Aihe

    There is something about irony which dresses like an apparition and walks the street to humble man’s best intentioned efforts. In the last day of a two-day programme, last Friday, when a small group of people drawn from various fields of interests, were working on a communique centred on the independence of the broadcast regulator, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the same regulator was dishing out sanctions to two broadcast operators, Arise News and TVC.

    Television Continental (TVC) from the stable of Continental Broadcasting Services and Arise News operated by Arise Global Media Limited were sanctioned for sustained but documented breach of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code. In the manner of you don’t hit a tsetse fly from the head of a child without showing the dead fly as evidence, or the child would mistake it for a slap, the NBC, in the letters signed by its DG, Mallam Balarabe Shehu Ilelah, listed a litany of breaches for which the two stations were fined N2m each.

    Whether the NBC equally engaged the stations in a sustained discourse of the entire process or the regulator simply caved in under political pressure, is yet to be ascertained. But whether the breaches actually exist is totally out of the question. It is always about due process although the regulator should have acted earlier.

    The programme with the theme: Conversation Between Industry Stakeholders on Issues in Broadcasting Legislative/Regulatory Frameworks,  was organised in Abuja by the Institute for Media and Society (IMS) on February 2 and 3, 2023, as part of activities under the Support-to- Media component of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN II) project.

    Participants at the meeting were drawn from different stakeholder groups, including the media industry unions and associations, national legislature, regulators, civil society organisations; media professionals, managers and owners; as well as journalism and media training institutions.

    In plenary and panel discussions, the meeting addressed various topics, including: Contemporary Reforms in the Nigerian Broadcasting Sector: The State of Play; The Journey Towards Independent Regulation in the Broadcasting Sector: Issues in the Legislative/Regulation Reform Process; Government Appropriation, Digital Access Fees, Radio/TV Sets – Shaping a Suitable Resource Pot for Broadcasting in Nigeria; The Broadcasting Regulator in the Technology and Politics of the Convergence Era in Nigeria: What Jurisdiction? What Power? Addressing the Liberty of the Broadcast Industry: Trends in Legislation and Regulation in Nigeria; Pace of Licensing, Cost of Licensing, Plurality of the Landscape: What has Changed? What has remained the same? Looking at Sanctions System in the Broadcast Industry Regulation from several lenses: The Technical, the Economic, The Political; and Third-Sector Broadcasting: Contemporary Concerns on the Development of the sub-sector.

    So many industry issues were washed up during discussions, some of them very bizarre and ludicrous. The regulatory fickleness and helplessness of the NBC in terms of its laws and resources was a central thread that ran through the discourse. For a very prominent agency that is central to the deepening of the democratic process, besides permanently putting the citizenry in the know in terms of information and education, and you may add entertainment, the NBC looks too traumatised to earn any success.

    Troubled by unfolding information, it was agreed that the broadcast law needs urgent amendment not just for the industry but for the survival of the regulator.

    The current broadcast law hardly has a spine and the industry with all its equipment to reach any part of the world, travelling on the wings of modern technology, has nearly lost its voice, ironically. Tell me, which other law in Nigeria, a country of 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), will permit a minister to pick 3 out of a 10-member board, including the chairman, from his own state. The NBC law subjects the regulator to the whims and caprices of the minister and Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who is the Minister of Information and Culture, has not failed to take full advantage of such a tantalising opportunity. In fact, his hold on the broadcast regulator is overwhelmingly scandalous.

    From the information available, it emerged that of all the deregulated sectors in the country, the broadcast industry is particularly enduring a very torrid existence at the moment and that concerted efforts should be made to cure it of its troubling baggage. Specific recommendations were made but permit me to transpose two to this article. They are as follows:

    One. The independence of the National Broadcasting Commission should be strengthened in law and in practice, including by ensuring that the tenures of the Director-General and Board members are clearly stated and that they have security of tenure; that the funding of the Commission is adequate for its functions and secure; and that the Commission is insulated from political, economic and other interference or pressures.

    Two. Full powers should be granted to the NBC to carry out the full range of its regulatory functions, including the issuance of broadcast licenses. Accordingly, Section 39(2) of the Constitution and the proviso to it should be amended to vest in the Commission the final authority to issue broadcast licences while other encumbrances in the National Broadcasting Commission Act should be removed so that the process of licensing broadcast stations should begin and end with the NBC.

    An appeal also went to the National Assembly to take urgent steps that will ensure that community broadcasting is properly recognised and defined in legislation, and adequately provided for in the licensing process, to better address the plurality of the broadcast sector.

    To situate the story properly, Community Radio Licensing was one of the final acts of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 before conceding victory to former military leader, Muhammadu Buhari. It was sweet victory for those who had engaged on a protracted struggle for the birth of that tier of broadcasting.

    A particular testimony by one of the proponents who is now an operator, even makes the case for Community Broadcasting more compelling. Engr Morgan Okwoche who runs the Agba Community Radio, Oju, Benue State, told the meeting that during the collection of PVCs in his locality, the station which broadcasts in 9 local languages, translated all INEC messages into local dialects, and embarked on an aggressive campaign which yielded generous results.

    “It was serious voter education,” he said. “In a particular council ward, the information dissemination was so successful that all PVCs were collected except one, whose owner had died.”

    Because democracy dies in silence if we continue to silence the media, it was strongly suggested that the government should encourage Community Broadcasting in order to boost democratic beliefs in the grassroots. And even more overriding is the appeal that the government and the industry should give more support to the regulator in order to facilitate the good health of the entire broadcast sector.

    Corrigendum

    After reading my article last week, titled: Telecoms, a humble review of a minister’s Scorecard, a former colleague reached out to me immediately to bring two things to my attention. One, that the title of Executive Secretary as head of USPF has since been dropped for Secretary, which is the position of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003. Two, that the office of the USPF was never moved from the NCC office at Maitama to Jabi (Mbora) as stated in my article. The error is regretted. It was never intended to diminish the status of the minister. I pray he is able to take this slap on the chin with graceful equanimity. My sincere apologies.

  • Telecoms, a humble review of a minister’s Scorecard – By Okoh Aihe

    Telecoms, a humble review of a minister’s Scorecard – By Okoh Aihe

    It would have been some whiff of good news last week for the telecommunications industry if evidence on ground did not advertise the contrary, overwhelmingly. It was the turn of the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, to make his presentation at the 19th edition of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s Scorecard from 2015 to 2023 in Abuja. he seized the opportunity with both hands and spoke on sundry issues, some of them very contentious, to the goading approval of his host, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.

    Quite a lot of information came into the open from the excitable atmosphere of Pantami but Vanguard pinned my attention with a particular shouting headline:

    Scorecard: No plans to strip NCC of its powers – Pantami. From the Vanguard story, the minister got a welcoming opportunity to respond to some of the troubling issues in the industry and, with his love for the mocrophone, he didn’t disappoint at all.

    Politics is about immodesty in Nigeria. Achievements are secondary. And where there is a little to celebrate, the politician goes to the rooftop to shout to the rest of the world, to draw attention to his base achievements.

    Just by appearing at that Scorecard presentation, it wasn’t going to be easy for Pantami to whitewash the damage that has been done to the telecommunications industry within the period under review. The headline only seems to have captured his lack of understanding of public apprehension for the NITDA Bill which some of us have argued, took so much away from, or is committing acres of encroachment into the Nigerian Communications Act 2003. 

    After a failed attempt to give the Bill a subterranean shove to the status of an Act on December 23, last year, the Bill once again came up for Public Hearing at the National Assembly yesterday. There is perhaps a good reason the Bill is enjoying such urgent attention. It will be good for the lawmakers to furnish the public with comforting information in this respect. 

    It will be germane to attempt a historical recap so as to illuminate the minister’s understanding that the NITDA Amendment Bill is only the final straw designed to break the camel’s back, that is, if we find comfort in the agelong cliche. Before this time several coordinated attempts had been instituted to whittle down the independence and efficiency of the NCC. It is a perfect case of regulatory capture, the most blatant since the coming of democracy in 1999. 

    By way of putting a leg into the pool to test the waters, the minister moved his office from the secretariat in the heart of the Federal Capitial Territory (FCT) to a major property of the regulator at Jabi, from where he started to preside on who would take space in that building that had been designed for other purposes. A minister moving into the property of the regulator? It was unheard of. The Director General of  the Diaspora Commission, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Elewa, who had been given a generous space by the NCC, was his first victim, ignominiously thrown out of the building.

    Second was the deracination of the Univseral Service Provision Fund from the NCC with the position of the head of the Fund, a Secretary, upgraded to an Executive Secretary and moved out of the NCC building to work directly with the minister at the Jabi office. Check Section 118 of the Act – The USP Secretariat shall reside in the Commission; and is funded in the main by a portion of the annual levies paid to the Commission by the operators. 

    The USPF is instituted by Section 114 of the Communications Act 2003 and is designed to promote widespread availability and usage of network services and applications of network services throughout Nigeria by encouraging the installation of network facilities and the provision for network services and applications services to institutions and in unserved, underserved areas or for underserved groups within the community. (Quite a winding one from Section 112 of the Act). 

    With USPF pocketed, the minister moved to shape the Board of the NCC by humbling great mind, Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye out of office as Board chairman and replaced with his own yesterday man from NITDA. Senator Durojaiye would die not long after, perhaps out of disappointment. The conversation I had with him in his house in Lagos would remain between us forever, but I can tell you the adverse signs are all over the industry and they are not good. 

    Having shaped the board after his image and likeness, the minister stepped into the little details of the NCC, the day to day activities, industry meetings, and even staff promotion and press statements started to carry the imprimatur of the minister. The staff of the Commission who are old enough to have witnessed the glory days of the regulatory frontline agency are full of regrets. 

    The NCC has long been stripped of its powers and glory. Only the carcass is awaiting redemption that may come from the end of May, at the birth of a new administration.

    Speaking on the NCC and NITDA and what seems to be a rat swallowing up an elephant, in the case of NITDA gaining overwhelming powers over the NCC, Pantami explained that the old Acts did not address the fourth industrial revolution and emerging technologies.

    According to Pantami, “We are talking about Fouth Generation (4G) Technology and Fifth Generation (5G) Technology today as well as digital economy.

    “The NITDA Act was specifically on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector, while the NCC Act dwells more on telecommunications.”

    The minister is not totally true. He is speaking about an industry where he enjoys no exclusive knowledge. There is nothing about emerging technologies and things happening in the telecommunications industry today that some people still at the NCC did not not know about 15 years ago. One beautiful thing about that organisation is its capacity to train its staff to any length, as long as they were willing to learn new things. That foundation for staff training was put in place by Engr Ernest Ndukwe, former Executive Vice Chairman, and Board Chairman, Alhaji Ahmed Joda of blessed memory. 

    Plus the phantasmagoric revelation of 108 virtual Federal Executive Council (FEC) meetings receiving 66 cyber attacks that were foiled, Pantami also gave an update on the NIN/SIM verification policy which has been on since December 2020. From inception the policy was aimed at curbing insecurity which put a cloud of forlornness across the nation at the time and it still does now.

    Speaking nearly five months later when he was embroiled in some kind of security mess, Pantami reiterated his determination. “On the issue of NIN-SIM verification to fight insecurity, there is no going back. Our priority as a government based on the provision of our constitution 1999 (as amended) Secrion 14(2)b is security, not just economy. For sure no going back at all,” he said. 

    From his presentation the National Identity Management Commission, (NIMC), was able to capture NIN of over 95 million citizens on its  database within two years instead of the 39 million the agency had captured in 13 years.

    Let me add the other leg of the story. The total number of MSISDNs (telephone numbers) that have submitted NINs are 162.9million while the number of MSISDNs with NINs verified stands at 99.97 million. The mobile subscription figures in Nigeria as at December last year, stand at over 220million. It will take years to ever complete the verification process.

    Pantami tried to explain why the various security arms could not track criminals using the information details available in their SIM/NIN. Just like that. 

    A programme failed on its cardinal purpose, no apologies. Since the exercise began in 2020, there have been more killings in the country, more kidnappings and more unresolved criminalities. If he had given an update without talking about lives it would have been much better. The point is that people put their trust in the ability of their government to help secure their lives, and they have died.

    One thing is very clear to me. That verification policy was introduced in a hurry, without proper feasibility studies, no impact analysis done and was therefore projected to be completed in one month! After several extension of dates, and over two years later, the SIM/NIN verification is not half done. A little acknowledgment would have been more respectful to the people who lost loved ones. 

    A source at the Commission told this writer that “we are no longer doing regulation, we are just pursuing shadows.” I totally agree with that source. Such feelings of dejection and despondency and a resurgence of nostalgia have been foisted by the meddlesomeness of the minister. That is how much ground the telecommunications industry has lost. That is how diminished and discombobulated the regulator has become.

    Speaking in plain terms, the telecommunications industry needs help, real help.

  • NCC Boss, Danbatta bags Regulator of the Year Award

    NCC Boss, Danbatta bags Regulator of the Year Award

    The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, was at the weekend in Lagos, decorated with the 2022 Regulator of the Year Award at the prestigious 11th Edition of the Vanguard Personality of the Year Award where men and women who have distinguished themselves as achievers of excellence in their various fields of endeavours were honoured.

    The award was conferred on Danbatta in recognition of the EVC’s effective regulatory achievements through cutting-edge initiatives, especially during his first five years in office during which Nigeria’s telecom sector has shown spectacular landmarks, at a glamorous ceremony at the Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos on Friday.

    According to organizers of the event, his initiatives strengthened the role of the telecommunications sector as a major contributor to the growth of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as well as telecoms investment inflows from $36 billion in 2015 to over $70 billion.

    Danbatta also spearheaded a campaign to improve Nigeria’s broadband penetration from the paltry five percent at the time of his appointment to about 30% in 2018. The EVC is currently among those leading the charge for the realisation of the new national broadband penetration target of 70 percent by 2025 since his reappointment in office in 2020.

    While presenting the award, Chief Abiola Dosunmu, the Erelu Kuti IV of Lagos, said Danbatta was eminently qualified and deserving of the distinct recognition conferred upon him.

    Other eminent Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in professional excellence and service to humanity in the private and public sectors were conferred with various categories of awards at the event including the President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote who won the Personality of the Year Award.

    Other awardees include the Kwara State Governor, Abdulraham Abdulrazaq and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde who were present and decorated and the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority, Mohammed Bello Koko who won the Public Sector Icon of the Year.

    Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa was represented by the Deputy Governor of the State, Barrister Kingsley Burutu Otuaro while Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem.

    Distinguished guests at the event were the Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi; Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the NCC, Prof. Adeolu Akande; the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management of the NCC, Adeleke Adewolu; some other members of the Board as well as Management and Staff of the Commission.

  • No plans to strip NCC of its powers – Pantami

    No plans to strip NCC of its powers – Pantami

    The Federal Government has no plans to strip the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) of its powers, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, has said.

    Pantami said this on Thursday in his presentation at the 19th edition of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s Scorecard for 2015 to 2023 in Abuja.

    The event was organised by the Ministry of Information, Arts and Culture.

    Pantami said there was no iota of truth in insinuations that the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), was designed to take over the powers of NCC.

    He said that both the NCC Act 2003 and NITDA Act 2007 were obsolete and long overdue for review due to imperatives of new technologies.

    According to him, old Acts did not address the fourth industrial revolution and emerging technologies.

    Pantami said: “We are talking about Fouth Generation (4G) Technology and Fifth Generation (5G) Technology today as well as digital economy.

    “The NITDA Act was specifically on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector, while the NCC Act dwell more on telecommunications.

    “I had a meeting with the Executive Vice-Chairman of NCC and the Director-General of NITDA  and I directed them to work together.

    “And there was an agreement that both Acts needed to be amended.”

    The minister said that NITDA had over 30 stakeholders’ engagements were held, saying, “I am sure NCC was involved.

    “It is unfair that someone will say because I was once a Director-General of NITDA and therefore tilted towards it.”

    Pantami also said that he stood his ground for NIPOST over stamp duty issues and was threatened by the late Boko Haram leader.

    He said that the threats came, when the government insisted on the implementation of Subscribers Identity Modules (SIM) with the National Identity Numbers (NIN) linkage.

    “I protected NCC recently when an Agency took 42 billion belonging to it.  The higher authority asked the Agency to return the money to the NCC.”Pantami said.

    He said that what was being done regarding the amendments of the NITDA and NCC Acts were in the best interest of the country.

    Pantami said based on assessment of independent consultants engaged by the Federal Government, the Ministry scorecard stood at “A” in all the eight priority areas assigned to it by Buhari.

    According to him, broadband penetration as of November 2022 stood at 46. 2 per cent, as well as  quarterly revenue generation from the ICT sector at N408 billion.

    “Employment generation  in the digital economy sector alone covered 2.2 million Nigerians within the last three years.

    “The National Identity Management Commission, (NIMC), was able to capture NIN of over 95 million citizens on its  database within two years.

    This, he said, increased compared to a figure of 39 million Nigerians captured by the same agency for 13 years.

    Pantami further said that through the implementation of the e-governance policy of the present administration,  over N47 billion  had been saved for the government.

    He also said that he inherited only one National Policy, but as at today, 19 National policies had been implemented by the ministry.

    Pantami said 18 Nigerian universities were being provided free unlimited broadband access and  20 Nigerian markets were also benefitting from such gestures free of charge.

    He said all the policies being implemented by this administration would be concluded before May 29 this year as President Buhari would also inaugurate the 12 billion naira National Centre for Digital Innovation in Abuja.

    He said challenges in the telecommunications industry were as a result of deficit in infrastructures and vandalisation of fibre optic cables.

    He said that in one particular year about 13,000 cases of vandalisation of fibre optic cables were recorded in different locations across the country.

    Pantami said the president should be commended by Nigerians for the far reaching policies implemented by his administration to change the narratives of the digital economy space and improve the living standards of the people.

    The NITDA bill is currently before the National Assembly for review.