NCC boost economy with N1.4trn since inception – Prof. Danbatta

The Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC), Prof Umar Danbatta, says the commission has contributed more than N1.4 trillion to the economy since its inception.

Danbatta stated this when he delivered the 46th Convocation Lecture of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, even as he advised policymakers needed to leverage on the potential of the Information Communication and Technology (ICT) sector to grow the economy.

He highlighted that the sector in recent times had shown the enormous potential that would be the needed elixir to turn the economy around.

The CEO urged policymakers to facilitate the adoption of ICT infrastructure in addressing issues in agriculture, health, energy and education sectors.

“It is in the interest of the country to harness potential that exist in the information-driven age to facilitate socioeconomic development,” he added.

Danbatta said NCC had as part of its mandate the improvement of learning in tertiary institutions, stressing that its efforts were aimed at reducing time wastage in accessing teaching and learning materials.

He pointed out that “the commission will continue to facilitate the improvement of the content delivery and capacity development of tertiary institutions.

“The UNN is at the cusp of that ICT revolution and it must seize the moment and make bold initiatives.”
One of the strategic visions of the commission for the next five years, he said, was to facilitate partnership with non-state actors to advance the use of ICT.

Danbatta said the commission had provided the enabling environment for operators in the industry to invest in the International Submarine Cable landing stations to deploy broadband infrastructure.

These submarine cables, according to him, have adequate capacities, abundant bandwidths that can cater for the bandwidth requirements of tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

“Already functional are SAT 3, Main-One, Glo 1, and WACS and In-Country Fibre Optic Cables Distribution and last mile. This is another investment opportunity for business people,” he stressed.

He explained that the facilities were provided as a channel to prepare the country for the digital economy that would be boosted by the imminent broadband revolution.

Earlier in his address, the Chairman of the occasion, Justice Babatunde Adejumo, who is also the President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, said that ICT infrastructure and tertiary institutions had become inseparable.

On his part, the Vice-Chancellor UNN, Prof Benjamin Ozumba, lauded the NCC for its assistance to tertiary institutions in Nigeria, adding that UNN was mindful of its responsibilities to contribute to the growth of the sector and the country at large.