By Kingsley I. Ilechukwu, Bureau Chief, South West

As Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) recently won double awards at the 2022 Tech Innovation Awards (TIA), the telecom regulator has promised to ensure it brings full benefits of the digital economy to Nigerians for the overall development of the country. This is contained in a press statement issued by the Director of Public Affairs(DPA) at NCC, Reuben Muoka.

At the 6th edition of the annual awards, which took place in Lagos, the Commission was named The Innovative Telecom Regulator of the Year while its Executive Vice Chairman, Prof. Umar Danbatta, was honoured with the Telecom Industry Leader Award.

Speaking after receiving the awards on behalf of the Commission and the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer( EVC/CEO), Mr. Muoka, said, the Prof. Danbatta’s leadership had 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.

Prof Danbatta said among several government policies and strategies on the digital economy which the NCC had continued to vigorously drive, include the implementation of the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP), 2020-2025, through which Broadband penetration has hit 44.5 per cent; and the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), 2020-2030, both of which had been streamlined in the NCC’s Strategic Management Plan (SMP) 2020-2024, and the Strategic Vision Plan 2021-2025.

He dedicated the awards to the staff of the Commission who were working tirelessly to ensure that the internal processes for effective regulation ran smoothly and promised even deeper commitment to advancing the frontier of digital connectivity in all nooks and crannies of the country.

“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.

Earlier, Chief Executive Officer of InstinctWave, organisers of the annual awards, Akin Naphtal, said the two awards went the way of the Commission owing to the recognition of its leadership finesse which had helped in innovatively fulfilling its brand promise to promote a connected environment of endless opportunities.

He said the annual awards, the Nigerian tech ecosystem’s equivalent of Oscar, set the highest industry standard for honouring organizations and individuals in the telecom and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector in Africa; and recognised innovative individuals and organisations at the forefront of digitisation that was taking place in Nigeria’s ICT ecosystem and beyond.