NCC Engages Media For Effective Reporting Of Telecoms Industry
By Olajide Meseko
In line with its strategic objective of stakeholder collaboration and partnering, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said it recently met a section of stakeholders in the mass media industry.
Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Director of Public Affairs at NCC, stated the forum was a workshop, organised to keep Nigerian journalists who specialise in reporting the telecoms and ICT sector, abreast of emerging developments in the telecom industry, in order to ensure the general public receives contextual, interpretive and illuminating reporting of telecoms matters.
Adinde said that the journalists, who attended the workshop under the aegis of the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters’ Association (NITRA), Abuja Chapter, reveled in the opportunity provided by NCC to glean emerging trends and topical regulatory issues in the telecoms industry.
“The workshop was part of NCC’s commitment to encouraging continuous professional development of journalists because the Commission sees good journalism as central, both to the achievement of its mandate and to the flourishing our nation’s democratic project.
“The training programme featured intense sessions focused on understanding the renewal the Commission has brought to bear on many major industry issues, including International Termination Rate (ITR) for voice services, benefits of the National Identity Number/Subscriber Identity Module linkage (NIN-SIM integration), the menace of illegal use of GSM boosters, updates on Fifth Generation (5G) deployment plan, spectrum administration, as well as compliance monitoring and enforcement, and other emergent regulatory matters,” said the NCC Director of Public Affairs.
Speaking at the workshop, which also featured special focus group discussions facilitated by subject-matter experts and senior officials from selected departments of the Commission, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of NCC, said the Management granted approval for the training in tandem with the Commission’s media relations and stakeholder engagement strategy.
The NCC EVC/CEO, represented at the forum by Dr. Adinde, stated: “Given the dynamic nature of the digital space and its impact on the economy, we believe this demands that our media partners are brought up to speed with the current requirements for maximum productivity and effective reporting of the telecoms industry.”
Danbatta also said, through capacity-building initiatives, such as the workshop organised for professionals in the media industry, “we would build multually-beneficial relationships for sustained media support as we continue to discharge our mandate of regulating this dynamic sector for the benefit of Nigerians and the economy as a whole.”
NITRA, he stated, is a long-standing strategic partner of the Commission and the knowledge empowerment programme through this workshop seeks to provide a platform for equipping stakeholders in the media with the knowledge and skill sets they require for effective, efficient and professional reporting.
The EVC/CEO, who commended the media stakeholders for their support over the years, said, without the support from journalists and other communication professionals, NCC would not have been able to deliver on its mandate as effectively as it is has done over the years. Danbatta enjoined all members of NITRA to continue to support NCC’s programmes, activities, and initiatives with the same enthusiasm with which they have been prioritising timely, adequate and accurate reportage of the country’s telecoms sector to enhance Nigeria’s growth and development.
The National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020-2030, the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025, the NCC Strategic Management Plan (SMP) 2020-2024, the creation of a Digital Economy Department in the Commission, among others, underscored the policy directions of the Federal Government which the NCC is diligently driving by working with relevant industry stakeholders, including the media, to deepen commitment to a digital Nigeria, said he.
Danbatta added: “So, it is expected that by empowering the media as our key stakeholders, they would be willing to ensure that members of public are accurately and adequately informed and are aware of the Commission’s regulatory strides toward building a robust digital economy for our country.”
Speaking on behalf of members of NITRA after the training, the NCC noted Blessing Olaifa, Chairman NITRA, Abuja Chapter, commended the Commission for providing a platform for sensitisation of media stakeholders on contemporary matters within the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) ecosystem, particularly the telecoms industry and especially the initiatives of the Commission in protecting consumers.
Olaifa, represented by NITRA’s Secretary-General, Emmanuel Elebeke, applauded the Commission for consistently supporting and partnering with the media organisation.
The Commission said the NITRA Chairman stated that this demonstrates how transparent and accessible the NCC has been to its stakeholders.
He said: “We must commend NCC for its regulatory strides over the years.
“The success of the 5G auction in December last year easily comes to mind as one of the recent achievements of the Commission, among several others.
“So, these capacity-building programmes will help to provide a collaborative partnership for an advanced digital economy and towards boosting the fortunes of ICT for development in Nigeria.
“We have been thoroughly enlightened as better specialists in ICT journalism.”