Nigerian Senate confirms Maida for Executive Vice Chairman of NCC- ITREALMS

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The Nigerian Senate on Thursday in Abuja, confirmed the appointment of Dr. Aminu Maida as the substantive Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), reports ITREALMS.

Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Mr. Reuben Muoka also confirmed this in a press statement available to ITREALMS, noting that Maida was confirmed by the Senate during its plenary session where it adopted a report of the Senate Committee on Communications that screened Maida on Wednesday, November 15, 2023.

VAS regulatory framework to promote local ICT innovations - Danbatta

ITRealms:

The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta has stressed the essence of the proposed regulatory framework for the provision of Value Added Services in Nigeria, saying that it will promote Information and Communication Technology (ICT) innovations locally, reports ITRealms.

Danbatta in his opening remarks at the commission's Consultative form on the Draft Regulatory Framework for the Provision of Value Added Services in Nigeria at the Sheraton Hotel, Lagos, Wednesday, he spoke on the the Commission's goals towards creating a level playing field for all stakeholders to ensure that they each gets equal value for their role in ICT, which will also in turn promote ICT innovation locally.

Th EVC also said that it would increase investment in youth, promote Small & Medium Enterprises (SME's), as well as providing access to optimized and affordable broadband services in the country.


He noted that it is important to develop and encourage quality local content in Nigeria by rewarding content developers who are major players in the Value Added Services (VAS) segment of the industry.

"That when finished, the regulatory framework will compliment the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 (NCA 2003) and respective licences issued by the Commission in providing guiding principles, standards and protocols for Value Added Services operating in the industry," he said.

Danbatta equally said that the forum is part of the Commission's rule-making process and its guiding principle of carrying out representative and wide consultations in the development of regulatory instruments as stipulated by the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 (NCA 2003).

ICT proficiency crucial to national development - Danbatta

ITRealms:

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Garba Danbatta has said that proficiency in Information and communication technology (ICT) is a crucial element to national development, reports ITRealms.

Danbatta made this assertion at the third edition of the Nigeria Digital Agenda held in Lagos by Centre for Cybe Awareness and Development (CECAD).

He also noted that such element of national development empowers individuals, institutions and society as a whole.

According to Danbatta who was represented at the event by Diretor, Special Duties, Mrs. Iyabo Sholanke, listed some three outlines that form a strong digital agenda to include education of the people on the importance and benefits of embracing ICT as part of their daily lives.

In addition, he said such an agenda will comprise an improved access to ICT and provides channels to acquire digital literacy skills will result in improving socio-economic benefits, reducing digital divide and enhancing social and financial inclusion.

He further said that the theme of the forum on “Beyond Oil – ICT, A Veritable Alternative’ is timely and apt. to the present administration’s change agenda which is geared towards exploring other avenues for the creation of wealth for the nation rather than depending almost exclusively on the obviously dwindling revenue from oil.

“In this connection, ICT is definitely a veritable alternative source of revenue for the country,” he said.

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Pix: Panelist at the event: Ekuwem, NITDA rep, Uwaje, Bayero, Mrs. Sholanke of NCC, Lanre Ajayi and Rep form HotSauce.

Attaining 30% minimum coverage by 2018 is possible - NCC

ITRealms:

Nigeria’s determination to attain 30 per cent minimum coverage by 2018 is possible according to the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, ITRealms reports.

Speaking in audience with the Executive Secretary, West African Telecommunications Regulatory Assembly (WATRA) Alhaji Maman Laminou, in his office, Danbatta declared that NCC is working hard to ensure this is achieved within the set time frame.

“The National Broadband Plan (NBP) will be pursued vigorously and that attaining the 30 per cent minimum coverage by 2018 is possible,” he said.

This is coming as NCC reiterated support for WATRA in fulfilling its aims and objectives, stressing that the ECOWAS body is welcome to NCC at all times.

On the NCC broadband plan, he said, it is intended to cater for everybody including those in the rural communities, as the Commission counts on leveraging WATRA’s expertise to actualise the recently unveiled eight-point agenda whose focus is on the turnaround of the telecommunications sector.

The EVC further assured WATRA team that the National Broadband Plan (NBP) will be pursued vigorously and that attaining the 30 per cent minimum coverage by 2018 is possible. 

Laminou on his part, congratulated Danbatta on his appointment as EVC of the NCC and pledged WATRA’s support, revealing that they are in the process of harmonising the roaming activities in ECOWAS with guidelines for a seamless interconnection and roaming of telephone users in West Africa up the stream in preparation.

 
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Breaking News: Danbatta seeks IGP protection on telecoms infrastructure

ITRealms:

The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta has solicited the protection of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) on telecommunications infrastructure in the country, reports ITRealms.

NCC expressed concerned over increasing cases of illegal sealing up of telecoms Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) across the country by various persons, including organizations, communities, agencies of the Federal State and local government at times using law enforcement officers.

Danbatta made this appeal when he led a team of NCC Directors and officials on a courtesy visit to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase in Abuja recently, lamented that apart from the actions being illegal, they also violate Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, CAP C39, laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

He also said that sealing up of Base Stations has its social implication that is cutting off subscribers from communicating thereby degrading quality of service, which is already a major concern.

According to him, acts of willful destruction of telecoms infrastructure, such as cutting of fibre optics and general vandalism have become very worrisome, hence the proposal for the institution of a critical infrastructure law that will require the police to monitor and protect public infrastructure.

“While we seek your support for urgent actualization of this law, we wish to implore you to see to the use of the current provisions of the law to ensure that individuals found to be engaged in willful destruction of telecoms infrastructure are timely prosecuted,” Danbatta solicited.

ITRealms gathered that both agencies of government, recently pledged to collaborate on vital issues concerning security of telecoms infrastructure and capacity building for modern policing which the IGP, Solomon Arase, stressed, forms the bedrock of modern security practices.

IGP Arase in response expressed readiness of the Force to work with the Commission immediately proposed the setting up of joint teams, drawn from the Police and the Commission which will handle telecom related cases.

 

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Breaking news: Danbatta to unveil 8-point agenda

Breaking News @ITRealms:

The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta would this week unveil his 8-point agenda to the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector, ITRealms can authoritative report.

The EVC, ITRealms also reports will use the opportunity of this unveiling to give insight into what his leadership will be till 2020.

Sources close to ITRealms confirmed that Prof. Danbatta will cut across his style of regulation operandi, broadband deployment, Long Term Evolution (LTE), next generation network modalities among others.

ITRealms recalls that Nigerian Senate on Tuesday November 22, 2015 confirmed Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta as the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Prof. Danbatta was appointed in acting capacity by President Muhammadu Buhari on August 4, 2015 following the expiration of the tenure of the erstwhile EVC, Dr. Eugene Juwah.

Accordingly, Prof. Danbatta went through thorough screening by the Senator Gilbert Nnaji-led Communication Committee, after which they expressed satisfaction and upheld Danbatta’s appointment for the next five years in the first instance.

ITRealms recalls that hitherto, Prof. Danbatta was the Acting Vice Chancellor, Kano State University of Science & Technology, Wudil. Born in Danbatta Local Government Council of Kano State, Prof. Danbatta obtained his BEng, MSc degrees from the Technical University of Wroclaw in Poland and his PhD from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) UK respectively.

Hitherto, he served as a lecturer in the Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Technology of Bayero University Kano for 28 years, where he taught courses in telecommunications engineering and electronics and held academic positions of Dean of the Faculty and Head of Department. His main responsibilities, in the university, included Deputy and Acting Dean of Students’ Affairs, Administrator of the Works Department and later, Director of the Centre for Information Technology (CIT).

He was also a member of over 60 University committees and task forces, including numerous stints as Chairman.  In administrative and other responsibilities outside the university, he has served on over 20 committees, prominent among which was his Chairmanship of the implementation Committee of pioneer Deputy and Acting Vice-chancellor when it took off in 2001.  Prof. Danbatta has supervised more than 60 PhD, MEng and BEng projects in diverse areas of telecommunications.

Credited with over 50 articles in journals, conference proceedings and technical reports.  He is also the author of a six-chapter, 167 – page book titled Element of Static Engineering Electromagnetics.

He is a recipient of 18 distinguished awards and certificates of honour.  Prof. Danbatta has served two terms of five years as a Member of Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), and is also a COREN registered Engineer and member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE).

He was the Vice President of the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), International Centre for Advanced Communication Studies, Kano campus, which was established in the year 2004 by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to build capacity for the Nigerian/African telecom industry in the diverse areas of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).  While at DBI, he has developed expertise in the following major areas of ICT implementation policy.

Pix: Prof. Danbatta

Danbatta, Emeka Mba to speak at Nigeria Telecom Impact CEO Forum 2015

 ITRealms:

The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof Umar Danbatta, Director General, National Broadcasting Commission, Emeka Mba, are expected to address the Nigeria Telecom Impact CEO Forum 2015, ITRealms reports.  

Other speakers at the event include CEO of Galaxy Backbone, Yusuf Kazaure and his counterparts from MTN, Michael Ipoki; Airtel, Segun Ogunsanya; Etisalat, Matthew Wilsher; MainOne, Funke Opeke among other CEOs. 

ITRealms gathered that top Nigerian CEOs from diverse sectors of the economy will be gathering on October 30 at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Lagos, to deliberate on how the influence of telecommunications could contribute 25 per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Themed “How Telecoms Can Contribute 25 per cent to the GDP by 2025”, the Impact CEO Forum would focus on the recently rebased GDP figures, which revealed that Nigeria’s telecommunications sector is “a star performer in the economy”.

Organiser of the event, ICT Watch Network, Mr. Tayo Adewusi, said as more sectors of the Nigerian economy appreciate the importance of telecommunications in improving their productivity and efficiency, there is a need to have an open platform where “C-level executives of various sectors will meet the telecommunication companies to discuss current trends and make realizable projections into the future”.

Adewusi said Impact CEO Forum is envisioned as the foremost influential meeting of top-level executives who will assess the impression of telecom on their businesses. As such, he informed, the event has attracted about 50 CEOs and 300 participants from all sectors of the economy from telecoms, agriculture, banking, entertainment, broadcasting and manufacturing, ITRealms learnt.

Other areas the influence of telecoms is heavily being felt is lottery and pooling, education, law, e-commerce, emergency management, tourism, customs and immigration. Others are travel and logistics, capital market, maritime, sports and government.

Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE,

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Pix: Prof Umar Danbatta,

Danbatta resumes at NCC, pledges to tackle quality of service

ITRealms:

The newly appointed Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Professor Umaru Danbatta, has resumed duty in acting capacity pending confirmation by the Senate, and promised to tackle quality of service issues in the industry.

Head, Public Relations at NCC, Mr. Reuben Muoka in a press statement available to ITRealms, said Professor Danbatta who addressed a cross section of top management and Staff of the NCC at the headquarters in Abuja on Friday, said that he will bring his experience to bear in confronting the challenges of the telecom industry in Nigeria.

“I want to pledge that I will bring to bear, my wealth of experience in tackling the issue of quality of service in order to meet the expectations of the public that we are servicing,” he said.

The Professor of Electronics engineering, said he would focus on those internationally acceptable ideals in telecom regulation, as stipulated by the International Telecommunications Union, ITU that makes quality of service a compelling attraction for the achievement of universal service.

“The concept of universal access is premised on three ‘A’s, as the hallmarks of universal access and they include Availability of service, Accessibility of Service, and Affordability of service. Those will dictate at all times what we do, and I am sure those were the dictating parameters for improvement in the quality of service”, he said.

Prof. Danbatta admitted there are challenges in the telecommunications industry but that they are not insurmountable. He enjoined the support and cooperation of the staff of the Commission to succeed, affirming that NCC still reckons as the number telecom regulator in Africa and the need for the staff to brace up for sustaining the prime position in the interest of the nation.

“We will judiciously use the resources of the Commission to ensure that we maintain this position in a manner that will enhance the image and prestige of the Commission as well as serve as a reminder to government of the important role that this agency can play in improving the GDP. This we can only do if all of us live up to our responsibilities as ambassadors of the Commission, and in these I urge everybody’s cooperation to enable us accomplish this very important task for the country”, he told the staff.

Prof Danbatta’s experience in the telecom regulatory sector spans the academia, as a university don and the industry where he once serviced as Vice President of the NCC-owned Digital Bridge Institute (DBI).  

Danbatta, who specialized with a Ph.D in Electronics Engineering, is not new to the telecom industry and telecom regulation and was until recently, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of Kano University of Science & Technology, Wudil until his appointment as the Executive Vice Chairman, NCC. He takes over from Dr. Eugene Juwah, whose five year tenure at the NCC ended July 28, 2015.

An accomplished academician of repute, Danbatta has served as  a  lecturer  in  the  Department  of  Electrical  Engineering,  Faculty  of  Technology Bayero University, Kano for  28 years,  where  he taught  courses  in  telecommunications  engineering,  and  electronics  and held  academic  positions  of  Dean of the  Faculty and Head  of  Department  at  different  times. 

The new Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, ITRealms gathered was born in Danbatta Local Government Council of Kano State. He obtained his Bachelor of Engineering, Master of Science, and Ph.D degrees from the Technical University of Wroclaw in Poland,  and the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology UK, respectively.

The new NCC helmsman has also held high profile administrative responsibilities, including   Chairmanship of the  Implementation Committee of Kano State University of  Science & Technology, and subsequently became its pioneer  Deputy,  and  Acting  Vice-Chancellor  when  it  took  off  in  2001.

He had served two terms of five years as a Member of Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), and is also a COREN registered engineer as well as a member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE).

 

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Breaking News: Prof Danbatta takes over from Juwah @NCC with immediate effect

Breaking News@ITRealms:

The President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Professor Umaru Garba Danbatta as the new Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), ITRealms reports.

This is coming as Buhari also appointed Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu as the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity, Femi Adesina confirmed this to ITRealms in a press statement today, said Prof. Danbatta, who holds a Doctorate Degree in Electronic Engineering, takes over from Dr. Eugene Juwah whose tenure expired on July 29, 2015 with immediate effect.
  In addition, the new NCC EVC’s other academic qualifications includes a Bachelors Degree in Electronic Engineering and Telecommunications as well as a Masters Degree in the same field.
  A fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers ( NSE), Prof. Dantata has had a meritorious career in the academia and rose to become Professor of Electrical Engineering and Electronics at Bayero University, Kano, specializing in Telecommunications Engineering and Information and Communications Technology.
  Before his new appointment, Prof. Danbatta held top management and leadership positions at different times including Head of Department, Dean of Faculty, Director, Centre for Information Technology, Chairman of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (Kano Branch), Deputy Vice Chancellor and Acting Vice Chancellor.
  His appointment as Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC is for five years in the first instance.
Equally, Dr. Kachikwu, who was appointed GMD of NNPC was the Executive Vice Chairman and General Counsel of Exxon-Mobil (Africa), is to take over from Dr. Joseph Thlama Dawha.
Dr. Kachikwu hails from Onicha-Ugbo in Delta State.

He is a First Class Graduate of Law from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and the Nigerian Law School.
  The new NNPC Chief Executive also has Masters and Doctorate Degrees in Law from the Harvard Law School.
  He started his working career with the Nigerian/American Merchant Bank before moving on to Texaco Nigeria Limited where he remained for about eight years before joining ExxonMobil. 

Additionally, below is biodata of Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, PhD:

Born in Danbatta Local Government Council of Kano State, Prof. Danbatta obtained his BEng, MSc and PhD degrees from the Technical University of Wroclaw in Poland and the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology UK respectively. 

He had served as a lecturer in the Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Technology of Bayero University Kano for 28 years, where he taught courses in telecommunication engineering and electronics and held academic positions of Dean of the Faculty and Head of Department at different times. His main administrative responsibilities, in the university, included Deputy and Acting Dean of Students’ Affairs, Administrator of the Works Department and later, Director of the Centre for Information Technology (CIT). 

He was also chairman to, or member of, over 60 University committees and task forces. In administrative and other responsibilities outside the university, he has served as chairman or member to over 20 committees, prominent among which was the Chairmanship of the Implementation Committee of Kano State University of Science & Technology and subsequently became its pioneer Deputy and Acting Vice-Chancellor when it took off in 2001. 

Prof. Danbatta has supervised more than 60 PhD, MEng and BEng projects in the diverse areas of telecommunications and has also served as external examiner to seven universities and polytechnics and is an assessor, technical reviewer and editorial member to eight research journals. 

He is a recipient of 18 distinguished awards and certificates of honour. Prof. Danbatta, who had served two terms of five years as a Member of Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), is also a COREN registered engineer and member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE). 

He has to his credit more than 50 articles in journals, conference proceedings and technical reports. He is also the author of a six-chapter, 167-page book titled Elements of Static Engineering Electromagnetics. 

He was the Vice President of the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), International Centre for Advanced Communications Studies, which was established in the year 2004 by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to build capacity for the Nigerian/African telecom industry in the diverse areas of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). 

While at DBI he has developed expertise in the following major areas of ICT implementation, policy and regulation:

1. Regulation of the Telecommunications Sector of the Nigerian Economy;

2. Competition, Interconnection and Price Regulations in a Developing Economy;

3. Issues concerning Authorization of Telecommunications Services in a Developing Economy;

4. Strategies for ensuring Universal Access and Service to Telecommunications Services;

5. Strategies towards Effective Spectrum Management in a Developing Economy;

6. Issues on Institutional and Legal Framework for Effective Regulation of Telecommunications Services; and

7. New and Emerging Technologies and Impact on Regulation of the Telecommunications Sector of a Developing Economy.

Prof. Danbatta, who recently served as a member of the Implementation Committee of the Northwest University Kano, is presently the Acting Vice-Chancellor of Kano University of Science & Technology, Wudil

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Pix: Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta