The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, has assured Nigerians that given the rich experience of its board and commitment of staff the Commission is energised to deepen access to telecom services towards supporting the economic blueprint of the Federal Government.
Danbatta stated this during a brief remarks at a dinner organised in honour of two outgoing and presentation of four newly-appointed distinguished commissioners of the NCC Board at the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja on Thursday, September 19, 2019.
The Chairman Board of NCC, Senator Olabiyi Durojaiye, haartily welcomed the new four board members into the fold of the telecom regulatory organisation and subsequently presented them to the audience, comprising top government functionaries, Mobile Network Operators, equipment vendors, representative of theMinistry of Communications and some agencies under the ministry, Clement Baiye, a Non-Executive Commissioner on the NCC Board, senior management staff of the Commission, other industry stakeholders, among others.
The outgone Board members of the Commission include Sunday Dare, immediate past Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management at NCC, now Minister of Sport and Youth Development; and Senator Ifeanyi Godwin Ararume, an accomplished politician, businessman and administrator. Both voluntarily resigned their appointments for higher callings.
The new Board members presented to stakeholders at the dinner include Ubale Maska as Executive Commissioner, Technical Services and the trio of Prof. Millionaire Abowei; Aliyu Abubakar and Salman Abdul-Azeez - as Non-Executive Commissioners.
Speaking further in his welcome remarks, Danbatta thanked the outgone Board members for their immense contributions to the successes recorded in the telecom industry so far, while assuring that the new Board, now larger in number, would do more to increase digital transformation momentum in the country.
"With the cummulative rich experience of our Board members now, spanning politics, ICT, telecoms engineering, politics, oil and gas, software apps development, legal, we are proud to say that while we have achieved a lot in the past, we now have a more robust team to achieve more," he said.
In their goodwill messages, representatives of MNOs, thanked the Commission Board for providing the necessary direction and excellent regulations that have produces the enabling environment that has helped to achieve the impressive growth so far recorded in the industry.
They also promised to work harmoniously with the entire Board and Management of NCC towards sustaining the growth trajectory of telecommunications industry in Nigeria.