NCC adopts modern professional PR approaches in stakeholders’ management —Danbatta

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has stated that the commission adopts modern professional Public Relations (PR) approaches in stakeholder management processes.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, stated this during the 4th Commonwealth Public Relations Congress which held in Lagos, adding that  the concept of developing a mutually beneficial relationship between the Commission and the public are put into practice.

“The Commission deploys appropriate tools, and professionals required for the realisation of the objectives of sustaining such healthy relationship.

“In the Strategic Management Plan 2013 – 2018 of the Commission, Stakeholder awareness and engagement feature very prominently as one of the key pillars set out in the list of major objectives of the plan. This indicates the appreciation of the PR implications of effective and result-orientated stakeholder management, “the EVC NCC said.

He explained that the growth of the industry is dependent on the investment decisions of telecommunications service providers and investors alike and that therefore are taking very seriously.

In his words: “Management of this set of stakeholders constitutes the most difficult and delicate balancing act with regards to public perception.

“Relationship between the service providers and the Commission are guided by established rules of engagement. In other words, a licensed service provider is guided by the provisions of the licence as issued by the Commission.”

The NCC boss highlighted that there are different publics that could be described as communities of interests in the Nigerian telecom industry, stressing that there are categories of stakeholders who have loose relationship but essential influence on the activities of the Commission.

He cited the academic community, which the Commission supports with Digital Awareness Programme, DAP, and Digital Awareness Programme for Tertiary Institutions, (ADAPTI). He noted that over 250 secondary schools across the country benefits from the programmes, while the programme in all the first generation, second generation and third generation universities and polytechnics across the country, involved provision of computers and Internet facilities around the campuses.