Business
PROF. Umar Danbatta, executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has said that robust broadband penetration is at the heart of any digital economy. He said facilitating broadband penetration is the first item of the agenda of the commission under his leadership.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 7th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Communications and Digital Economy, Danbatta recalled the accomplishments of the commission in the context of the 8-Point Agenda unveiled by the management of the commission in February 2016.
He commended Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, minister of communications and digital economy, for his commitment and recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari has demonstrated unequivocal commitment to delivering a digital economy by his physical presence at the launch of the new strategy for a digital economy at the e-Nigeria Conference held recently in Abuja.
The National Council on Communications and Digital Economy is the highest advisory body on ICT in Nigeria. This year, the thematic focus of the Council Meeting was: “Leveraging the Gains of ICTs in Developing and Implementing a Digital Economy Strategy for Nigeria.”
The ICT sector now contributes 13.8 percent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), overtaking oil as the highest contributor to the nation’s economy. Besides Danbatta, the chief executive officers of other agencies supervised by FMoCDE also participated at the meeting, as well as commissioners from various states of the federation who are in charge of ICTs, science and technology.
At least 22 commissioners attended the meeting, including Imo state commissioner for Technology Development, Meekam Mgbenwelu, who commended NCC for facilitating the training of 200 candidates from Imo State at the Digital Bridge Institute, DBI, an institution established by NCC in 2004 to accelerate knowledge production that measures up to the speed of development in the Nigeria’s telecom sector.
During the council meeting, Pantami also visited the Federal University Kashere, Gombe State, to commission the newly-completed library of the University.
– Dec. 16, 2019 @ 18:39 GMT |
Tags: Broadband penetration central to digital economy – Danbatta
