The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta and the Ambassador of the Republic of Senegal to Nigeria, Babacar Matar Ndiaye, last Thursday jointly hoisted the national flag Senegal at the Secretariat of West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA) during an event of historical significance in Maitama, Abuja
Danbatta, who is also the Chairman of the Executive Council of WATRA, said that the event was of significance that it transcended the physical hoisting of the flag, noting that “it symbolises the cohesion taking place in WATRA” and giving concrete and louder expression to collaboration and cooperation among member-states of the regional telecom regulatory body.
The NCC director, Public Affairs, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, in a statement, quoted the NCC boss as saying that the increasing demonstration of cooperation and cohesion by WATRA member states signified unflinching commitment to harnessing ICT resources to improve the quality of life of the people of the sub-region, noting that ICT remains an enabler for bridging the gaps in the pathway to development.
Confirming the telecoms industry regulator’s position, Ambassador Ndiaye, who is also Senegal’s permanent representative to ECOWAS, described the ceremony as a happy occasion, noting that it is gratifying to gather at WATRA Secretariat to hoist the flag of Senegal alongside those of other member states.
He said Senegal had never relented in making remarkable contributions to ECOWAS and other regional bodies and indicated his country’s readiness to work within the political and economic framework of ECOWAS to streamline challenges facing regulators like WATRA.
The envoy further stated that among the key challenges regulators face included the emergent Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, the convergence of networks and applications, the imperative of infrastructure sharing and the increasing needs of telecom consumers, dynamics of financial services, and electronic commerce in general, stressing that regulators’ roles are crucial to fast-tracking growth in other sectors of the national economies.
Ndiaye expressed hope of continued stakeholders’ collaboration to address the myriads of challenges in the telecom sector, pointing out that the outbreak of COVID-19 and the envisioned post-COVID-19 relations have compounded the challenges of telecom regulation.
The Senegalese envoy also conveyed the appreciation of the Government and people of Senegal to the Nigerian government for hosting WATRA, as well as the NCC for the support it has continued to offer WATRA and for promoting greater cooperation among member states towards harnessing the benefits of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
In his welcome address, Executive Secretary of WATRA Aliyu Yusuf Aboki, expressed delight at having the ambassador and the chairman of WATRA at the flag presentation and hoisting ceremony.
According to him, the duo’s presence at the event underscores the importance that “policymakers and political authorities in Africa attach to the digital economy as a means of promoting investment, jobs and growth.”
This is even as he pointed out the meeting also signified the sub-regional determination to work together in order to improve telecommunications regulations in a manner that enables “operators and investors to deliver more affordable, higher quality and more innovative services” to the people of West Africa.
Aboki who also recalled the efforts made by the Government of Senegal in promoting digital economy also thanked the 16 member-countries of WATRA to the Nigerian government, which, through the NCC, has continued to support “the Assembly and for hosting WATRA.”
The West African Regulators Assembly (WATRA) is made up of ECOWAS member-states and Mauritania.
The hoisting of the national flags of member-states of WATRA at the Secretariat, an initiative of the Danbatta-led Executive Council, commenced after the last AGM during which Aboki and Danbatta emerged as Executive Secretary and Chairman of the Executive Council respectively.
Thirteen member states had their respective flags hoisted at the AGM while Mauritania later sent a representative to perform the flag hoisting ceremony.
