Danbatta launches book on telecom industry

ABUJA, Nigeria – Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Professor Umar Garba Danbatta has made public presentation of a book on the telecommunication industry.

The book titled: “Catalysing Nigeria’s Socio-Economic Transformation through Broadband Infrastructure” is a compendium of speeches delivered by the EVC over time. It was launched along with Podcast Channel of the NCC, NCC Global Connect and the NCC Strategic Vision Plan 2021 – 2025.

Speaking during the presentation, Danbatta explained that he has had opportunity to deliver several speeches and make presentations both locally and internationally as chief regulator of the very dynamic telecom sector.

“In order to preserve these speeches for historical reference, we have carefully selected some of the speeches which capture the successes and challenges of the Nigerian communications sector from my perspective. The book titled: “Catalysing Nigeria’s Socio-Economic Transformation through Broadband Infrastructure” is sure to give readers the historical background and authoritative context to the growth that is now being enjoyed by the industry”, he said.

According to him, apart from being the first of its kind, the book is unique because it is a bold statement in accountability.  “In it, I seized the opportunity to present to the public a documentation of my discharge of the public trust emplaced on me. Through this Compendium, it is hoped that the reader would easily see how the NCC’s Strategic Vision (SVP) for 2016-2020 has been formed and how it has been implemented over five years. It will also enable the reader to appreciate the industry’s position, impacts and challenges over the five years covered by the Compendium”, Danbatta explained.

According to him, the Commission is standing on the threshold of history, as Nigeria marks 20 years of a liberalized telecommunications industry and this, he said has further repositioned the Commission on a solid path to push towards greater success in the next decade.

“We will continue to do our best in the discharge of the Commission’s mandate, especially in facilitating broadband deployment which is central to diversifying the Nigerian economy and for national development in line with the National Digital Economy agenda”.

The EVC noted that broadband infrastructure has become the most critical development infrastructure in a modern economy.  “It is our belief that the communications industry, under the leadership of our current Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, will experience more quantum leap and retain its current leadership role in delivering the much needed development for the people of Nigeria.

He said that the Commission has positioned itself to participate fully and actively in the digital transformation of Nigeria consistent with the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025, the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020-2030 for a digital Nigeria and the Strategic Management Plan (SMP) 2020-2024 of the Commission as well as other Government and ITU extant policy and regulatory documents respectively.