The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has said that its effective collaborative engagements with the academia has help it to achieve its 8 points agenda articulated by the Executive Vice Chairman, EVC, Umar Danbatta shortlly after his appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.

The EVC spoke at the visual Public Presentation of a book on Nigerian Telecommunications law and Regulation in Abuja on Wednesday.

The EVC, who was represented at the event by the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management, Barrister Adeleke Adewolu, noted that shortly after being appointed EVC by Buhari in 2015, he articulated a Strategic Vision Plan comprising of eight critical pillars which he termed the “8-point Agenda”.

According to him, one of the key points of that agenda is to facilitate strategic collaborations and partnerships.

He noted for instance, that the NCC recently endowed Professorial Chairs to the tune of N40 million in two Nigerian universities – the University of Ibadan, Oyo State and the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi State, adding that each university was endowed with N20 million each, to be disbursed over two years to enable them embark on massive research to promote innovation and drive socio-economic development in the country.

“We have also had sustained regional roundtables with the academia throughout the country to brainstorm on innovative solutions to pressing challenges in the ICT sector as well as ensuring a future-proof industry that meets consumers changing needs and drives government’s digital economy objectives,” the EVC added.

“Law and Regulation are two critical pillars which influence the speed and impact of innovation. As important as these two factors are, they typically lag behind technology – it therefore behoves on all legal and regulatory practitioners in the sector to keep abreast of developments so that knowledge gaps do not stifle innovation and/or deny consumers of the optimum value.

“As noted in the book’s Foreword – written by a very senior legal practitioner and Executive Commissioner in the NCC, Mr Adeleke Adewolu – there is a noticeable paucity of well-researched books and reference materials on the legal and regulatory regime governing the telecommunications and indeed the ICT sector in Nigeria.

“I am delighted that the authors of “Nigerian Telecommunications Law and Regulation” have taken up the challenge and have produced a comprehensive reference material which touches on practically every aspect of the subject.

“As an academician, I am pleased to support works of this nature – they deepen intellectual capacity, help to improve the regulatory framework and enhance stakeholder awareness about the complementary rights and responsibilities of the different players in the telecommunications ecosystem.

“The ICT sector is knowledge-driven and we must support any endeavour that seeks to democratise knowledge in the way that the authors of the book have done.

“I note that this is not the first book of its kind – I had the honour of writing the Foreword to a similar work published in 2018. I use this opportunity to commend the authors of “Nigerian Telecommunications Law and Regulation” for the comprehensive depth of the book.

“I am pleased that one of the co-authors is a staff of the Commission – this is a laudable venture which speaks to the 8th Pillar of our Agenda (To ensure Regulatory Excellence and Operational Efficiency).

“I encourage other staff of the Commission to take on similar ground-breaking challenges which projects their subject-matter expertise in their respective fields.

“The Commission will always support such efforts as a of the Excellence pillar of the 8-Point Agenda.”

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