Technology Technology Trends

Danbatta Shares Experience on Regulatory Model for Nigeria’s Digital Inclusion

 …As Guinea Bissau visits NCC on benchmarking tour

The Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, has shared his experiences on some of the regulatory models, approaches and best practices being implemented by the Commission in promoting a stable telecoms sector and accelerating digital inclusion in Nigeria.

Danbatta shared these experiences while receiving a delegation from Autoridade Reguladora Nacional (ARN), the Telecom National Regulatory Authority of Guinea-Bissau who were on a on a week-long benchmarking visit to the Commission in Abuja on Wednesday, May 26, 2021. 

The delegation was in the Commission to gain insights into NCC’s regulatory template as part of the exchange to build stronger bilateral relations with the Commission in the area of telecommunications regulation.

According to Danbatta, who is also the Chairman of the West African Telecommunication Regulatory Assembly (WATRA), the Nigerian Communications Commission has been recognised by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as Africa’s foremost regulatory organisation and has over the years received regulators from across Africa and beyond whose mission is to understudy the Commission.

He recalled the strong support to Nigeria by Guinea Bissau during the recently concluded election for the position of Executive Secretary of WATRA and the Chairmanship of the regional body, noting that the benchmarking visit underscores the cordial relationship, mutual cooperation and collaboration between both countries.

“The 16 members of the regional organization share a common vision in ensuring that the citizens are not digitally excluded and are cooperating to ensure that access to information and communication technology services are not only ubiquitous, but that they are available and affordable through effective national and regional policies”, Danbatta said.

 The EVC pointed out that the NCC has through the implementation of various policy initiatives, particularly the National Broadband Plan (2020-2025) improved access to broadband for over 80 million Nigerians and targets the provision of Point of Broadband Access (PoA) in all the 774 local government areas (LGAs) of the country within the plan period. Dnabatta stated that challenges remain in the process, but observed that NCC is committed to addressing such challenges as Right of Way (RoW) issue, multiple taxation, vandalism of telecom infrastructure, among others, confronting the licensees as they roll out services.

To further drive digital inclusion, Danbatta said the Commission carried out a study to determine areas where there are access gaps in the country. “We identified 217 *clusters of access gaps* and today, we have ensured more Nigerians are digitally-included by reducing the number of access gaps to 114 currently, while more measures are being taken to further reduce the access gaps, thereby deepening digital inclusion.

Through NCC’s various regulatory efforts, Danbatta said “Nigeria’s telecoms sector had reached an all-time-high, basic internet subscription of 154 million; over 87 million broadband subscriptions, representing 45.93 per cent broadband penetration; over 207 million voice subscriptions with teledensity standing at 108.94 per cent as at October, 2020.”

Meanwhile, Danbatta, as WATRA Chairman, has assured of ongoing plans for the Executive Secretary of WATRA, Aliu Aboki, to visit the 16 member countries of the Assembly for the purposes of interacting and engaging with the member countries in order to build a common front to galvanise the development of the telecommunications ecosystem in the West African sub-region.

“So, we hope this level of collaboration at the level of WATRA, will be strengthened, so that together, we can act in a manner that other parts of Africa can be able to copy from us. It is an excellent regulatory model that we are working together and I solicit your support and that of other member countries in making the visit of the 16 member countries by the Executive Secretary a huge success,” Danbatta urged the delegation.

While expressing the desire to reciprocate the visit, the EVC particularly appreciated the Guinea Bissau’s delegation for the visit and expressed the hope that their expectations for the benchmarking programme have been met as they take away some key ideas and integrate same into the regulation of their country’s communications industry.PIX Caption:

L-R: Mr. Ibrahim Galadima, Head, International Affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC); Mr. Teofilo Lopes, Head of Delegation from Guinea-Bissau; Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, NCC;  Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Director, Public Affairs, NCC during a benchmarking courtesy visit  to the Commission in Abuja recently.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.

You may also like

Business Economy Society Software Technology

The critical role of data in debt recovery amid surge in consumer debt

post-image

 

 

As South Africans and their pockets are impacted by rising inflation, cost-of-living increases, and a spate of interest rate hikes over the past two years, consumer debt has surged at an alarming rate. More people are turning to credit facilities to keep up with daily expenses, with worrying knock-on effects for businesses and the entire South African economy.

 

With a renewed focus on debt recovery processes and procedures, businesses need to ensure they have the most reliable, up-to-date information available to assist with recovering outstanding monies. “As the cost of borrowing escalates, and the average South African consumer finds themselves allocating approximately 62% of their take-home pay towards servicing debt, the need for efficient, effective debt recovery strategies is a crucial consideration for any business extending credit,” explains Chantelle Frier, National Sales Manager of SearchWorks, South Africa’s largest and most innovative data aggregation platform that allows users to conduct…

Read More
Announcements Business Culture Events

NITDA Celebrates Exceptional Women Staff Members in Commemoration of International Women’s Day 2024

post-image

In honor of International Women’s Day 2024, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) proudly recognized the invaluable contributions of its female staff members during the Quarterly Staff General Meeting.

Led by the esteemed Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, the event served as a platform to commend and honor female staff members whose remarkable efforts have significantly contributed to the agency’s accomplishments. In a gesture of appreciation and acknowledgment, Director-General Kashifu Inuwa CCIE presented letters of commendation to these outstanding women, underscoring NITDA’s unwavering commitment to fostering inclusivity and empowering women within the agency.

The Quarterly Staff General Meeting not only celebrated the achievements of these exceptional women but also reaffirmed NITDA’s dedication to recognizing and nurturing talent across all gender identities. As an agency at the forefront of technological innovation, NITDA remains steadfast in its mission to create an inclusive and equitable workplace where every…

Read More
Business Events Fintech

PAFON 1.0: Experts Harp on Stricter Data Privacy Measures in Payments Ecosystem in AI Era

post-image

·      Tasks Payments System Operators on the Need for Consumer Education

 

The Chairman of the Committee of Chief Information Security Officers of Nigerian Financial Institutions (CCISONFI), Mr. Festus Amede, has identified Data Minimization Principles, User Consent and Control, as well as Compliance with Privacy Regulations as important elements in protecting privacy in payments.

 

Amede who was represented by an executive member of CCISONFI, Mr. Olusola Odediran (also, the Chief Information Security Officer) Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), spoke during his keynote presentation at the maiden edition of Payments Forum Nigeria (PAFON 1.0) held at Oriental Hotel, Lagos on Thursday.

 

His presentation themed, ‘Payments: Trust, Security and Privacy in the AI Era,’ explored the critical…

Read More
Business Economy

Nigeria Seeks Joint West Africa Regional Protection of Undersea Cables

post-image

 

 

Following recent undersea cable cuts that challenged connectivities in many countries in the West African region, Nigeria has called for a coordinated and multilateral approach by the region to protect shared telecommunications infrastructure, and diversify connectivity to ensure uninterruptible connections.

 

Executive Vice Chairman of the  Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, made the submission in a statement delivered at the 21st West Africa Telecommunications Regulatory Assembly (WATRA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) which held in Freetown, Sierra Leone, from the 19th to 22nd March 2024.

 

Dr. Maida, whose message was delivered at the WATRA AGM by the Deputy Director, Public Affairs of the Commission, Nnenna Ukoha, stated that the recent submarine cable cuts that resulted in nationwide outages on multiple networks in 12 African countries has raised the urgent need for the subregion to establish a mechanism to protect itself from damage to submarine infrastructure and its attendant impact on the…

Read More
Business Opinion Technology Technology Trends

WHY HYUNDAI AND KIA HAVE ONE OF THE BEST FUEL ECONOMY

post-image

 

 

I watched one video yesterday when one of my brother Uncle IB did some review on Hyundai Sonata so i decided to throw more light on it.

Hyundai and Kia are so much underated in Nigeria and the reason is lack of information. Hyundai and Kia are the most fuel efficient vehicles but most people are not aware.
They use more advanced engine technology on and that’s why they use smaller engines to push out much power with less fuel.

They make use of technology like:
▪︎CVVT (Continously variable valve timing)
▪︎DPFI (Dual port fuel injection)
▪︎ITMS (Integrated Thermal Management System)
▪︎HTCS (High Thermal Conversion system)
▪︎FOMS (Friction optimized moving system)
▪︎ High Ignition Energy EGR
▪︎Smartstream Transmission.
▪︎Wet 8 – Speed DCT.

Hyundai and Kia make use of smartstream engines. Engines like GDi produce high power and good for high driving speed conditions while engines like MPi are smoother with less power…

Read More
Business

NDPC to Partner Ondo to Upskill Youths, Create Jobs in Data Protection

post-image

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has expressed its readiness to work with the Ondo state government to promote a culture of Data Protection that would also help create employment opportunities for young people in the state.

The National Commissioner/CEO of NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji, revealed this when he received his excellency, the Ondo state Deputy Governor, Olayide Adelami, at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Friday.

Dr Olayide said the purpose of his visit was to explore possible areas of collaboration between NDPC and the state in a way that fosters development for the people of the State.

According to him, “our government is passionate about youth development and one of the ways to ensure our youths are gainfully employed is to equip them with the right skills, needed for 21st century workplace. In view of this, we have identified ICT as one key area to upskill our youths…

Read More
Business Economy Technology Technology Trends

8 Reasons MacBooks Are Better Than Other Laptops

post-image

MacBooks have been around for a while now, and in that time, they’ve cemented themselves as some of the most popular laptops available. They’re well-designed, easy to use, and come with some great features. But why are they so popular? And more importantly, why are they better than Windows-based laptops?

Here, we’ll explore several reasons why we think Apple laptops are better than the competition, touching on everything from durability to ease of purchase and more.

8. The Apple Ecosystem

The Apple ecosystem is made up of all the hardware and software that Apple designs and puts out. Almost all Apple devices, apps, and operating systems are a part of the ecosystem: iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Mac, iCloud, Apple Music, and so on.

So, when people talk about the Apple ecosystem, they’re actually referring to how well all these products work together. It’s the ecosystem that makes it possible…

Read More
Announcements Business

Bimbo Abioye, Fintrak Software’s Group Managing Director, Recognized Among “Top 50 Most Valuable Personalities in Nigeria’s Digital Economy”

post-image

 

 

Fintrak Software, Nigeria’s leading indigenous software development firm specializing in financial software, proudly announces the recognition of its Group Managing Director, Bimbo Abioye, at the prestigious “Top 50 Most Valuable Personalities in Nigeria’s Digital Economy” event. The ceremony, held at Providence Hotel in Ikeja GRA, Lagos State, celebrates Abioye’s outstanding contributions to the nation’s digital landscape.

Bimbo Abioye FCA,MBA,ACTI,CISA,CISM,CISSP,FICA,MNCS,AFCPN,SRMA - FinTrak Software Company LLC | LinkedIn
Bimbo Abioye , GMD Fintrak Software

Despite his absence due to commitments in an Eastern African country, Mr. Bimbo Abioye was represented by Ladi Ipaye, who graciously accepted the award on his behalf. The accolade underscores Abioye’s remarkable achievements and relentless dedication to advancing Nigeria’s digital economy.

Reflecting on Abioye’s impact, Ladi Ipaye remarked, “Bimbo Abioye has spearheaded Fintrak’s transformation into a powerhouse within the fintech ecosystem, elevating the firm from a modest consultancy…

Read More