The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has restated its commitment to deepening already existing relationship with the Media.
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, stated this on when a Media organisation, National Economy, paid him a courtesy visit at its head office in Abuja.
Speaking through the Commission’s Director of Public Affairs, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Danbatta said the media remains pivotal in delivering on the Commission’s regulatory mandates as enshrined in the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003 and other policy instruments.
Danbatta explained that there is no gainsaying the fact that the Commission, by virtue of its regulatory activities in the telecom ecosystem, occupies a strategic position in the official architecture instituted to enhance national economic development.
The EVC noted that the relationship of the Commission with the mass media has been robust and cordial over the years, and the Commission will never take the media for granted nor act in any manner that may rupture the relationship.
Recalling the significance of media support in the accomplishments of NCC, the EVC asserted that, the positive, prominent, accurate, timely and adequate reporting of the Commission by a broad spectrum of the media agency, eased Commission’s burden in putting its activities in the public sphere and enhanced its effort to enlist the support of other key stakeholders in the telecom ecosystem.
The EVC further stated that the Commission has a deliberate policy of constructive engagement with the media and other stakeholders because it understands the centrality of providing a platform for continuous interface toward positioning and projecting the Commission as a flagship public sector brand in Nigeria and a leading light of telecom regulation in Africa and globally.
Danbatta thanked the media for its superlative response in reporting telecoms notable contributions to GDP, particularly the significance of the sectoral feat in taking Nigeria out of recession.
In addition, the EVC recalled with gratitude the noteworthy media reportage of the processes emplaced for the deployment of 5G services in Nigeria, especially the successful auction of the 3.5GHz spectrum for the roll out of the 5G services. He urged journalists and other communication professionals to amplify Commission’s voice in its publicity and sensitization of the citizens and all stakeholders on the importance of the new generation network towards the economic development of the nation.
While thanking the Management of National Economy for the visit, commendation and support to the Commission over the years, Danbatta also expressed NCC’s commitment to sustaining its favourable relationship with the media.
The delegation from the National Economy was led by Chief Mike Okpare, Vice Chairman. His colleagues the delegation are Kirk Leigh, Chief Operating Officer; Fadilah Ismail, Head of Advertisement; Bayo Amodu, Head of Stories; and Cees Harmon, General Editor.