Dr. Aminu Maida, CEO of NCC, Hosts Courtesy Visit from Galaxy Backbone Delegation

Dr. Aminu Maida, CEO of NCC, Hosts Courtesy Visit from Galaxy Backbone Delegation

In a bid to foster collaboration and strengthen partnerships within Nigeria’s telecommunications sector, Dr. Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), welcomed a delegation from Galaxy Backbone. Led by the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Ibrahim A. Adeyanju, the delegation visited the NCC headquarters for a courtesy visit.

The meeting, which took place at the NCC’s headquarters in Abuja, provided an opportunity for both parties to explore avenues for cooperation and exchange ideas on advancing Nigeria’s digital infrastructure. Dr. Maida, renowned for his visionary leadership in the telecommunications industry, expressed his delight at hosting the esteemed delegation from Galaxy Backbone.

During the discussions, Dr. Maida and Prof. Adeyanju highlighted the importance of collaboration between regulatory bodies and key players in the telecommunications ecosystem to drive innovation and expand access to digital services across the country. They emphasized the need for synergies in infrastructure development, regulatory frameworks, and capacity building initiatives to accelerate Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.May be an image of 12 people

The courtesy visit underscores the commitment of both the NCC and Galaxy Backbone to advancing Nigeria’s telecommunications landscape and harnessing the transformative power of technology to drive socio-economic development. As Nigeria continues its journey towards a digital economy, partnerships between regulatory agencies and infrastructure providers are essential to bridging the digital divide and empowering citizens with access to affordable, high-quality connectivity.

Following the productive discussions, Dr. Maida and Prof. Adeyanju expressed their optimism about the potential for future collaborations and pledged to work closely together to address the challenges and opportunities facing Nigeria’s telecommunications sector. Their shared commitment to fostering innovation and driving inclusive growth reaffirms the importance of public-private partnerships in shaping Nigeria’s digital future.

Anthony Emeka Nwosu

 

The courtesy visit underscores the commitment of both the NCC and Galaxy Backbone to advancing Nigeria’s telecommunications landscape and harnessing the transformative power of technology to drive socio-economic development. As Nigeria continues its journey towards a digital economy, partnerships between regulatory agencies and infrastructure providers are essential to bridging the digital divide and empowering citizens with access to affordable, high-quality connectivity.

Undersea Cable Cuts Disrupt Data, Voice Services along African West Coast

Undersea Cable Cuts Disrupt Data, Voice Services along African West Coast

A combination of cable cuts, resulting in equipment faults on the major undersea cables along the West African Coast, have negatively impacted data and fixed telecom services in several countries of West Africa, including Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Cote de Ivoire, among others.

The cuts occurred somewhere in Cote de’Ivoire and Senegal, with an attendant disruption in Portugal.

Cable companies – West African Cable System (WACS) and African Coast to Europe (ACE) in the West Coast route from Europe have experienced faults while SAT3 and MainOne have downtime.

Similar undersea cables providing traffic from Europe to the East Coast of Africa, like Seacom, Europe India Gateway (EIG), Asia-Africa-Europe 1 (AAE1), are said to have been cut at some point around the Red Sea, resulting in degradation of services across on these routes.

In Nigeria and other West African countries, Internet access and speed have experienced disruptions in the networks of service providers in the affected countries.

Operators of these cables have commenced repairs already, and services are gradually being restored.

They have promised to work round the clock to ensure that services are restored to the affected countries within the shortest possible time.

It is important to bring this information to the knowledge of corporate and individual consumers on these services.

New NCC Boss, Maida Commits to President Tinubu’s Vision on Digital Economy

New NCC Boss, Maida Commits to President Tinubu’s Vision on Digital Economy

 

 

“We would not entertain anything that deviates from this direction because my key performance indicators (KPIs) are fed into the Minister’s KPIs and the President KPIs come from the electorate that put him into power. The Hon. Minister has said clearly that he is ready to build a robust digital infrastructure and empower three million Nigerians digitally and we have to do our best to support him in this regard,” Maida said.

 

He stated further that, in the Strategic Plan of the Minister, there was a plan to empower three million Nigerians in digital skills and entrepreneurship, adding that this will require the Commission to support Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) as a digital training institution, to be well positioned in driving the government’s agenda on youth empowerment.

 

The EVC also emphasised the importance of effective spectrum management and utilisation in supporting the envisioned digital connectivity agenda, which is critical to service deployment to the generality of Nigerians and businesses in the country.

 

Maida, while appreciating his predecessors and the entire staff of the Commission for the laudable role being played in digital transformation of all sectors by stimulating the deployment of baseline telecom infrastructure, however, called on the staff of the Commission to join his leadership with a sense of purpose as a team towards advancing the actualisation of the President’s Renewed Hope agenda, which, he said, recognises a thriving digital economy in achieving sustainable development and quality of life for all citizens.

MINILS Confers Fellowship on Danbatta for Empowering National Workforce

MINILS Confers Fellowship on Danbatta for Empowering National Workforce

The Michael Imoudu National Institute of Labour Studies (MINILS) has decorated the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta, with the award of Fellowship of the Nigeria Institute of Labour (NIL) under the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.

At the conferment ceremony in Abuja recently, which was part of the series of events marking the 40 Anniversary/Founders Day of the Institute, the Director-General of the Institute, Isa Aremu, said Danbatta was being recognised for his exemplary contributions and that of his team to the betterment of the Commission and national workforce.

Alongside Danbatta, the Director, Human Capital and Administration of the Commission, Usman Malah, who is driving the effectiveness of the workforce at NCC was also honoured with a fellowship.

Speaking at the event, Danbatta, who represented by Malah, at the event, underscored the significance of collectively supporting initiatives that enhance the well-being of Nigerian workers through increased access to affordable telecom services.

The EVC stated that only through a digitally skilled and informed workforce can Nigeria fast-track national productivity and development, alongside other initiatives being put in place by the Federal Government. Danbatta said the Commission would ensure affordable and ubiquitous telecom services to improve Nigerian workers’ daily activities.

While expressing gratitude for the recognition to him and Malah, Danbatta assured of his continued support to empowering NCC staff in improving skills, education and sundry capacity-building activities as well as stimulating the deployment of robust broadband infrastructure for bolstering job creation for Nigerians and improving national productivity.

Meanwhile, MINILS DG, Aremu, commended the Commission for promoting the deployment of telecommunications services to improve productivity and efficiency across different sectors of the economy.

“We have witnessed the amazing transformation in terms of broadband penetration, Internet subscribers and many other achievements recorded under the leadership of Prof. Danbatta as the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC and how the telecom sector, regulated by the Commission he leads, have improved national productivity,” Aremu said.

The DG of MINILS stated that the EVC has played a pivotal role in transforming and advancing the nation’s digital space and acknowledged that Danbatta’s commitment to bridging the digital divide and creating employment opportunities in the telecommunications sector has earned him accolades nationwide.

The anniversary, which featured conferment of Fellowship of the NIL on other Chief Executives and Heads of Human Resources divisions of some government agencies alongside the NCC Management executives, not only celebrated the events of the past but also set the stage for a brighter future, showcasing the importance of fair labour practices, knowledge and continued collaboration between various government agencies.

Aside from the new Fellowship of NIL, Danbatta is a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, the Renewable and Alternative Energy Society; the Nigerian Academy of Engineering, and the Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.

NCC approves harmonized short codes, directs implementation

NCC approves harmonized short codes, directs implementation

 

In line with its consumer-centric approach to telecoms regulation, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed mobile network operators (MNOs) to commence implementation of approved harmonised short codes (HSC) for providing certain services to telecom consumers in Nigeria.

The Commission has already set a deadline of May 17, 2023, for all mobile networks to fully migrate from hitherto diverse short codes to the harmonised codes.

The use of harmonised short codes is aimed at achieving uniformity in common short codes across networks. This means that the code for checking airtime balance is the same across all mobile networks for the same function, irrespective of the network a consumer uses.

With the new codes, the telecom consumers using the over 226 million active mobile lines in the country, can now use the same codes to access services across the networks.

Consequently, under the new harmonised short codes regime, 13 common short codes have been approved by the Commission. They include the following codes: 300 to be used as the harmonised code for Call Centre/Help Desk on all mobile networks; 301 for voice Mail Deposit; 302 for Voice Mail Retrieval; 303 for Borrow Services; 305 for STOP Service; 310 for Check Balance, and 311 for Credit Recharge.

Also, the common code for Data Plan across networks is now 312. In line with the new direction, 321 is for Share Services, while 323 is for Data Plan Balance. The code, 996, is now for Verification of Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Registration/NIN-SIM Linkage. The code, 2442, is retained for Do-Not-Disturb (DND) unsolicited messaging complaint management, while the common code, 3232, is also retained for Porting Services, otherwise called Mobile Number Portability.

The old and new harmonised short codes will run concurrently up until the May 17, 2023, when all networks are expected to have fully migrated to full implementation of the new codes.  The period between now and May 17, 2023 is provided by the NCC to enable telecom consumers to familiarise themselves with the new codes for various services.

The initiative, which is in line with NCC’s regulatory modernisation programme, is essentially to make life much easier for telecom consumers, as it is now easier for Nigerians to memorise single codes for various services across all mobile networks they may be using, thereby improving consumer quality of experience (QoE).

In addition, the new policy will provide opportunity for licensees in the Value-Added Services (VAS) segment of the telecoms sector to be able to use freed-up/old codes for other services, as well as enhance cohesive regulatory framework in keeping with world-class practices.

NISS Seeks Collaboration with NCC to Improve National Security

NISS Seeks Collaboration with NCC to Improve National Security

 

National Institute of Security Studies (NISS) has engaged the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to advance strategic collaboration that would enhance the application of Information and Communication Technology (ICTs) towards improving national security.

Speaking during a visit to the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta at the NCC’s Head Office in Abuja recently, the Institute’s Director, Research Estimates and Library Services, Dr. Adegboyega Karim said the visit was on a fact-finding mission to enrich ongoing research that focuses on globalization and regional integration for sustainable development in Africa.
Karim led to the Commission a team delegation of Executive Intelligence Management Course Sixteen Participants (EIM16), a study group with representations from various security agencies under the auspices of NISS, typically senior officers in security agencies, including the military, police, intelligence services, and other relevant agencies.

He noted that the Commission has made giant strides advancing the course of digital economy development in Nigeria, and that its regulatory processes provide a good opportunity for the collaboration to enable the group to research further into matters regarding telecommunications and national security.

Director, Special Duties of the Commission, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, who received the team on behalf of Danbatta, affirmed the readiness of the Commission to collaborate with the Institute and, indeed, any private and public institution that is focused on national development.

Reiterating on the advancements made in ICTs, Adinde said it is within this context that the Commission continued to promote the deployment of robust digital infrastructure capable of supporting and improving the security of lives and property.

“As a way of consolidating on the tremendous successes that had been recorded in the telecoms industry through effective regulatory regime emplaced by the Commission, the Federal Government has formulated a number of policies such as the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) and the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), among others, which serve as a compass for our efforts at building a resilient digital economy that supports security,” he said.

Adinde enlightened the visiting delegation on NCC’s efforts towards ensuring adequate protection for telecoms facilities, across the nooks and crannies of the country where it is treated as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), the building of Emergency Communications Centres (ECCs) across states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as well as series of collaborations with relevant agencies to ensure effective connectivity to individuals and institutions.

NCC Boss to Receive Vanguard’s Regulator of the Year Award on Friday

NCC Boss to Receive Vanguard’s Regulator of the Year Award on Friday

 

 

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, is set to receive the 2022 Regulator of the Year Award at the highly-coveted Vanguard Personality of the Year Awards.

 

Vanguard Newspaper Limited, the organizers of the event, has said that Danbatta would receive the award category at a ceremony to be held in Lagos on Friday, January 27, 2022 based on the recognition of the professor’s transformational and inspiring leadership, which brought the effective regulatory regime in the telecoms sector, impacting positively on Nigeria’s digital economy ecosystem.

 

Alongside other prominent personalities including state governors like Babagana Zulum of Borno State, Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, Abdulraham Abdulrazaq of Kwara, Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom and Seyi Makinde of Oyo State as well as the Chairman of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and other Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in professional excellence and service to humanity, Danbatta will stand tall before Nigerians on Friday to receive his category of award.

 

Profoundly described as Africa’s Regulatory model, Prof. Danbatta has become a model to other African regulators.

 

A respectable scholar and distinguished academic, Danbatta has displayed a no-nonsense mien in discharging regulatory functions, yet he is generally viewed in the industry as a calm and calculative leader who takes fair but firm decisions in his drive to steady the Nigerian telecom environment. This has, no doubt, inspired many African regulators to adopt Nigeria’s model in order to revamp their regulatory activities.

 

 

A professor of telecommunications engineering, Danbatta, before his appointment, had been the Acting Vice Chancellor at the Kano State University of Science and Technology (KUST), and as a lecturer he has supervised more than 60 PhD, M.Eng and B.Eng projects in diverse areas of telecommunications.

 

Danbatta, however, was not entirely new to the industry before he bacame the NCC boss, as he had a stint at the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) an international centre for advanced communications studies established in 2004 by the NCC for capacity building in diverse areas of Information and Communication Technology as the Vice President of the institute.

 

 

His first five years in office witnessed an effective regulatory regime through cutting-edge initiatives, strengthening the role of the telecommunications sector as a major contributor to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

 

 

Currently leading the charge to achieve the Nigerian National Broad Plan 2020-2025, Danbatta was acclaimed for spearheading the predecessor campaign, which Nigeria attained and surpassed the 30% national target in 2018, from paltry 6% when he took over.

 

The multiple award-winning professor also midwifed a highly successful 5G spectrum auction last year, while his strides in reviving the Emergency Communications Centers (ECCs) and the introduction of harmonized national emergency communication number (112) helped the NCC to win the International Public Relations Association Golden Award in the year 2021, because of a pivotal role they played in containing the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

His stellar leadership style was recently rewarded by the organizers of the prestigious Zik Prize, as they bestowed on him the Zik Prize award for Professional Leadership.

 

Danbatta earned BEng, MSc degrees from the Technical University of Wroclaw in Poland and received his PhD from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. Yet, in spite of his towering achievements, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, remains an epitome of modesty and humility.

Danbatta Bags Award for Exemplary Leadership in Public Service

Danbatta Bags Award for Exemplary Leadership in Public Service

 

 

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta was at the weekend in Lagos, decorated with an Award of Exemplary Leadership in Public Service.

 

The award was conferred on Danbatta at the 12th Anniversary Lecture and Award of Nigerian NewsDirect, one of the long-standing media players in the Nigerian Communications industry, at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos on Friday.

 

Danbatta, who was represented at the event by the Director,  Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka, said it was gratifying to have been considered worthy for the award in recognition of the initiatives deployed by the  Commission in carrying out its statutory mandate.

 

The EVC stated that the theme “Good Governance: Private and Public Sectors’ Roles in Raising Revenue, Growth and Positive Turnaround of Nigerian Economy” provides the veritable opportunity for all stakeholders to seek better ways of advancing the course of good governance both in public office and in the private sector of the Nigerian economy.

 

In giving concrete expression to the strategic vision of the Commission with respect to the theme of the programme, Danbatta said the Commission is ever determined to ensure collaboration with all stakeholders in the Nigerian communications industry and even beyond as it remains one of the surest ways of enabling a positive turnaround of the Nigerian economy.

 

Danbatta thanked the organisers of the programme for the award and acknowledged that it was a call for more work to be done to push the frontiers of good governance that ensures national development and economic growth.

 

While presenting the award, the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Nigerian NewDirect, Dr Samuel Ibiyemi said Danbatta was eminently qualified and deserving of the prestigious recognition on the strength of the huge role he has played in the attainment and surpassing of Nigeria’s national broadband target of 30 percent in 2018 and that he is currently among those leading the charge for the realisation of the new national broadband penetration target of 70 percent by 2025.

 

Dr Ibiyemi added that with the incontrovertible facts on the ground, it was easy for the board and management of his organisation to agree that through an effective regulatory regime and various cutting-edge initiatives, Danbatta has stabilised the telecom industry and strengthened the telecommunications sector as a major contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth and boosted telecoms investment inflows from $36 billion to over $70 billion between 2015 toll date.

 

Other eminent Nigerians who were conferred with various categories of awards at the event include the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami; Dapo Abiodun, Governor of Ogun State; Bello Hassan, Managing Director, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation; and  Mimi Adzape, Executive Chairman, Benue State Internal Revenue Service among others.

NCC renews MoU with Lottery Commission

NCC renews MoU with Lottery Commission

 

The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Wednesday in Abuja, signed a revised Memorandum of Understanding with the National Lottery Regulatory Commission, NLRC, with provisions to deter unapproved lottery and gaming practices on telecommunications platforms through information and intelligence sharing.

Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta noted that the MoU, which will impact the gaming industry, is in sync with the Commission’s Strategic Vision Plan (SVP) and is in a bid to promote fair practices in the industry for the protection of telecommunications consumers in relation to lottery and gaming activities.

He said the collaboration is in line with the provisions of Commission’s SVP, 2021-2025, which provides for facilitation of strategic partnership and collaboration with other bodies to enhance service delivery.

He explained, “The initial MoU expired in 2022, amendments and modifications have been made since no MoU is cast in stone, especially given the industry’s dynamic nature.”

The Director General of NLRC, Mr Lanre Gbajabiamila expressed confidence that the MoU will yield favourable outcomes in curbing illegal online gambling as he shared his hope that NCC and NLRC will achieve their intentions in the interest of gaming stakeholders.

He noted how unapproved lottery and gaming activities and practices undermine the integrity of domestic and global gaming markets to the detriment of stakeholders in addition to undermining consumer confidence in these markets, hence the collaboration with the Commission to arrest such tendencies.

Earlier in his opening remarks, the Executive Commissioner (Stakeholder Management), Barr. Adeleke Adewolu disclosed that the MoU was designed to address recent technology information-sharing capabilities, and consumer satisfaction and to enhance areas of co-regulation in line with the Federal Government’s digital economy mandate.

The new MoU replaces one that was first signed by both organizations, which expired in 2022. It provides complementary approaches to deter unapproved lottery/gaming practices on telecommunications platforms through information and intelligence sharing in recognition of how unapproved lottery and gaming activities and practices undermine the integrity of domestic and global gaming markets to the detriment of stakeholders in addition to undermining consumer confidence in these markets.

Under the agreement, following requests from NLRC, NCC shall endeavour to block or disable illegal lottery gaming operators on the telecommunications service providers’ platform in Nigeria and NLRC

The document was developed by a Joint Implementation Committee (JIC) comprising representatives of NCC and NLRC to implement the MoU and other matters that promote collaboration between both organizations in their regulatory functions.

FG gets industry commendation on telecom policies

FG gets industry commendation on telecom policies

 

 

Cross section of participants at the ongoing 10th Edition of the National Council on Communications and Digital Economy, which commenced at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, Oyo State, since 4th December 2022, have commended the Federal Government for its commitment in providing leadership and guide for industry growth.

The commendation followed the listing of about 20 policies by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami aimed at promoting different areas of the digital economy, including the flagship National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020 – 2030, and the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025 – all of which have started to yield concrete, positive results for the economy.

Pantami said the recent assessments by the Foreign Development and Commonwealth Office (FDCO) and the KPMG Consulting which adjudged the communications and digital economy sector as the best performing sector in Nigeria, were based on 8 key priority areas, one of which was in revenue generation, where the sector has raised government revenue profile by 594 percent.

Among those who applauded the Federal Government’s vision for the sector are the Secretary to Oyo State Government, Her Honour Olubamiwo Adeosun, who represented His Excellency Oluseyi Makinde, Governor of Oyo State; and the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta.

Emphasising the centrality of digital innovation and digital entrepreneurship to a robust digital economy, the Minister commended the participants for the quality of evaluation, recommendations, and criticisms that attended the memoranda presented at the Council. He urged the media to give the best coverage to the communique to be issued after the meeting. He also enjoined professionals in the media systems of communication to note specific recommendations and the corresponding role of each stakeholder in the implementation of each item in the communique.

The Minister announced that 110 memoranda and recommendations were presented to the Council, out of which 67 were approved for implementation. The remaining 43 recommendations are to be reconsidered in the next meeting of the Council.

Pantami thanked the Government of Oyo State and the Olubadan of Ibadan, His Imperial Majesty, Dr. Lekan Ishola Balogun Alli, Alliwo Okumade II, for receiving him and his team on the courtesy visit he paid earlier to the Palace, and to the Governor’s Office where Adeosun had also received the Minister on behalf of the Governor.

In his goodwill message, the EVC/CEO of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta praised the minister for his impeccable supervisory role as the leader of the sector. Danbatta also praised the Federal Government for being the most revolutionary administration in its commitment to the utilisation of digital resources for the growth of individuals, businesses and the national economy through design of policies to achieve concrete, measurable and remarkable deployment of cutting-edge technological applications.

On behalf of the Board and Management of NCC, Danbatta thanked participants for their attendance and active participation, which attested to the importance they all attached to the promotion of digital economy and culture.

Amplifying the voice of the Minister, the EVC stated that the participants’ commitment to government’s digital economy agenda has been well demonstrated in the methodical review of the recommendations of the 9th Council meeting, objective identification of achievements, and the frank approach taken to chart the path towards future goals and expectations.

The EVC promised that, “NCC remains committed to supporting all policies, strategies, plans and initiatives that promote the provision of modern, universal, efficient, reliable, affordable, and easily accessible communications services that give the widest range throughout Nigeria”. He also emphasised that it is in demonstration of its commitment that the Commission undertook a timely release of spectrum in the 3.5GHz band for the deployment of 5G services to ensure that Nigerian citizens, businesses, public institutions and other stakeholders are enabled with requisite infrastructure to engage in the emergent digital economy and culture.