The telecom regulator, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), recently won two honors at the 2022 Tech Innovation Awards (TIA), and has pledged to guarantee that Nigerians receive the full benefits of the digital economy for the advancement of the nation as a whole.
The Commission received The Innovative Telecom Regulator of the Year Award at the 6th edition of the yearly awards, which were held in Lagos, while its Executive Vice Chairman, Prof. Umar Danbatta, received The Telecom Industry Leader Award.
Reuben Muoka, the director of public affairs for NCC, said after accepting the awards on behalf of the Commission and the EVC, “Prof. Danbatta’s leadership has committed to the implementation of progressive policies, plans, strategies, and regulatory initiatives to ensure continuous development of the Nigerian digital economy for the benefits of Nigerians.”
The implementation of the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP), 2020-2025, through which broadband penetration reached 44.5 percent, and the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), 2020-2030, both of which have been streamlined in the NCC’s Strategic Management Plan (SMP) 2020-2024, and the Strategic Vision Plan 2021-2025, are among the numerous government policies and strategies on the digital economy that the NCC has continued to vigorously drive, according to him.
He dedicated the awards to Commission employees who put in countless hours to make sure that the internal procedures for efficient regulation function properly. He pledged an even greater dedication to expanding digital access in all regions of the nation.
“Great leadership usually starts with a willing team, a positive attitude, and a desire to make a difference, and our team at NCC has been relentless to see that the Commission’s strategic objectives, as enshrined in the SMP 2020-2024, and other extant policies bring the benefits of a digitised economy to the citizens of Nigeria.”
“These wonderful staff, who are my foot soldiers, are tirelessly working to improve stakeholder collaboration, promote innovative regulatory services, and improve communication’s resource and project management. These awards prove that our efforts are visible and appreciated,” he said.
Akin Naphtal, chief executive officer of InstinctWave, the organization that organizes the yearly awards, earlier stated that the Commission won the two awards because of the recognition of its leadership skill, which assisted it in creatively upholding its brand promise to encourage a connected environment of limitless opportunities.
He claimed that the annual awards, which he referred to as the Oscars of the Nigerian tech ecosystem, set the highest industry standard for recognizing companies and individuals in the telecom and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector in Africa. They also honor creative people and groups at the forefront of the digitisation happening in Nigeria’s ICT ecosystem and elsewhere.