Scores of participants at the just ended 10th Edition of the National Council on Communications and Digital Economy, which held at the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, commended the Federal Government for its commitment in providing leadership and guide for industry growth.
The commendation followed the listing at the forum of about 20 policies by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa 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 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 eight key priority areas, one of which was in revenue generation, where the sector has raised government revenue profile by 594 per cent.
Harping on the importance of digital innovation and digital entrepreneurship to a robust digital economy, the minister lauded the participants for the quality of evaluation, recommendations, and criticisms that attended the memoranda presented at the Council.
Pantami also urged the media to give the best coverage to the communiqué to be issued after the meeting and 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 communiqué.
The Minister announced that 110 memoranda and recommendations were presented to the Council, out of which 67 were approved for Council 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 Balogun, for the courtesies extended to him during his visit to the royal father’s Palace, and to the Governor’s Office where Adeosun had earlier received the minister on behalf of the governor.
In his goodwill message, the EVC of NCC, Danbatta commend the minister for his supervisory role as the leader of the sector and the current government for its revolutionary initiatives in the sector in terms of commitment to the utilization 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.
Danbatta thanked the participants for their attendance and active participation, which, he said, attested to the importance they all attached to the promotion of digital economy and culture.
According to him, the participants’ commitment to the government’s digital economy agenda had 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.
Danbatta promised that the “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 and give the widest range throughout Nigeria.”
Also, he stressed that it was 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.
Photo Caption
Rt. Jon. Olusegun Gbeleyi (left), Board Chairman, Digital Bridge Institute; Prof. Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission; and Prof. Sahalu Junaidu, Chief Research Adviser to Minister of Communications and Digital Economy during a courtesy visit to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, as part of the activities of the 10th Edition of the National Council on Communications and Digital Economy, held in Ibadan, Oyo State.
