REMARKS BY THE DIRECTOR, PUBLIC AFFAIRS, NIGERIAN COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (NCC), DR. IKECHUKWU ADINDE, DURING THE VIRTUAL MEETING WITH ONLINE PARTNERS OF THE COMMISSION ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2020
The Management and Staff of NCC
Our Esteemed Online Partners
Ladies and Gentlemen
It’s my pleasure to welcome all of you to this virtual meeting, I bring you warm greetings from the Executive-Vice Chairman, Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, the Board, Management, and Staff of the Nigerian Communications Commission.
As you may be are aware I assumed duties as the Director of Public Affairs on the 23rd of June, 2020.
I have been in the system for a long time and have taken on several responsibilities and acted in various capacities. I also had the opportunity to head the Digital Bridge Institute, where, by nature of the job amongst other things, I had to interface with the media, so this is really not new to me.
The Commission has as one of its strategic tenets, deliberate partnership and collaboration with our various stakeholders. We see you as a major part of our success and will like to appreciate your contributions, timely and accurate dissemination of news and information regarding our regulatory activities as a telecoms industry regulator.
There is no doubt that journalism and the way we report and disseminate news have changed in fundamental ways by virtue of technology. The Covid 19 pandemic has also drastically changed the way we communicate and interact with digital platforms becoming the norm for carrying out official and personal activities. This virtual meeting today is a testament to this new normal.
The digital media environment has brought about new opportunities and challenges for online journalists. One of the many benefits of what you do as an online journalist is the real-time dissemination of information and the immediacy it involves. The availability of online news 24/7 and its accessibility and availability to consumers make your work very important, you are therefore constantly faced with the challenge of not only reporting events real-time, sometimes, but balancing that need for speed with the accuracy and integrity demanded by your profession.
There has been a considerable increase in the number of people accessing the news via online platforms, especially among younger audiences, it’s our vision therefore to make NCC the leading public sector brand in the use of online media for organizational communication and stakeholder engagement.
The communications sector and telecoms, in particular, is indeed the most vibrant and dynamic sector of the economy and requires excellent leadership and stewardship, no wonder President Muhammadu Buhari recently approved the reappointment of Prof. Umar Danbatta as the EVC/CEO of the NCC for another term of five years which has since been confirmed by the Senate. The fate of Nigeria’s telecommunications industry has yet again been entrusted to a tested and trusted hand and you have a role to play to ensure factual reportage of the Commissions activities and initiatives.
On our part, we will continue to work with you to accomplish the goals and objectives which define our shared interests in building the ICT Sector and telecom in particular for the greater good of Nigerians.
The National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), the New National Broadband Plan (2020-2025), the NCC Strategic Management Plan (2020-2024), creation of the Digital Economy Department all underscore the policy directions of the Federal Government which the NCC is expected to drive working with our supervising ministry and other relevant industry stakeholders to extend the frontiers of the digital economy for Nigerians.
Let me use this opportunity to solicit your continuous support in the area of enlightening the general public on the various consumer-centric regulatory initiatives of the Commission. As our online media partners, I urge you to constantly visit the NCC’s official website (www.ncc.gov.ng) which is a repository of information and necessary latest statistics on the performance of the telecommunications industry.
We also urge you to always contact the Commission for necessary clarifications to ensure accurate and adequate reporting of the industry, as the NCC runs an Open House to our media stakeholders. We call on your support and continued collaboration in reporting our activities and initiatives for the good of every Nigerian and for the growth of the telecom industry, your role is indeed very critical. On our part we are committed to working with you as much as we can and within the budget that we have available.
Gentlemen of the press, these are unprecedented times, I urge you, therefore, to continue to maintain and observe the protocols regarding social distancing, adherence to hand washing, as well as ensuring strict compliance with the use of facemasks in public spaces as we go through this unusual period of COVID-19 pandemic.
Finally, let me reiterate the Commission’s resolve in ensuring that Nigerians are enlightened and carried along on the Commission’s journey to advance the digital economy agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari and you the members of the 4th estate of the realm are indeed critical stakeholders on this journey.
Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for your kind attention.
DR IKECHUKWU ADINDE
DIRECTOR, PUBLIC AFFAIRS
