L-R: Grace Ojougboh, Head, Online Media & Special Publications, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC); Usman Malah, Director, Human Capital and Administration; Blessing Olaifa, Chairman, Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA), Abuja Chapter; Prof. Mohammed Ajiya, President/Chief Executive Officer, Digital Bridge Institute (DBI); Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Director, Public Affairs, NCC; Usman Mamman, Head, Human Capital, NCC; Bashir Bello, Head, Legislative & Government Relations, NCC and Truddy Tony-Awusaku, Principal Manager, Public Affairs, NCC, during the opening ceremony of the capacity building programme for the media at DBI, Abuja on Tuesday, October 27, 2020.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, has commended its media stakeholders for their role in accurate, timely and effective reportage of the telecommunications sector.
Danbatta gave the commendation while declaring open a two-day media capacity building programme organised under the auspices of the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA) on Tuesday, October 27, 2020 at the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), Abuja.
“I must applaud every member of NITRA for working assiduously to provide coverage for our activities, as well as provide a platform for our narratives in terms of the various policy initiatives and actions taken to support the national economy. Without your continuous cooperation, understanding and professionalism, the Nigerian audience would not have been properly informed about the activities of the NCC,” he said.
Represented by the Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Danbatta stated that the ICT industry in Nigeria is, indeed, the most dynamic and most resilient, as it continues to evolve by the day.
According to him, with the shutdown of almost every sector of the economy since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, telecoms sector has continued to provide government and businesses the platform to operate and transact online to ensure that the country’s developing economy is sustained.
The EVC, however, noted that the advancements in ICT have reshaped every facet of human endeavour from learning, teaching and communication to other sectors of the economy.
He said the dynamic nature of ICT industry has, thus, informed the NCC’s decision to continuously train journalists, with a view to equipping them with the necessary skills they need to report the industry, adding that the misconceptions and misinformation that have trailed the proposed rollout of Fifth Generation (5G) network in the country is a case in point.
“Therefore, we will not relent in our quest for an improved ICT industry in Nigeria and in pursuit of this objective, we will periodically assemble seasoned professionals to educate and enlighten you on the latest trends in the global ICT industry,” he said.
He said while the training is in line with the Federal Government’s recognition of the important role journalism has played in the development of Nigeria’s ICT industry, it is also consistent with one of the critical pillars of NCC’s strategic plan on strategic partnership and collaboration with various stakeholders, including the media.
He urged the participants to take the training seriously and take advantage of it to expand their horizons of knowledge on the ICT industry.
“This is very necessary so that when you report events or activities relating to the industry, you are able to translate them into a language that the common man will readily understand for the overall development of the industry,” Danbatta said.
“It is our duty and responsibility to ensure that whatever we want to introduce to the Nigerian telecoms space is well understood by Nigerians and all those who make use of our telecoms services and the media forms a part of our critical external stakeholders to make this happen,” the EVC added.
