The Nigerian Communication Commission(NCC) has pledged its commitment to fostering a stronger partnership and collaboration with technology hubs in the Southeast and other parts of the country.
NCC Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Prof. Umar Danbatta spoke at the Commission’s Southeast regional innovative forum in Enugu.
He said innovative information communication technology (ICT) ideas had become the fulcrum of economic realities and social advancements in several countries, Nigeria inclusive, hence the need for stronger partnership between the commission and technology hubs.
The two-day event was tagged, “Digital Societies and Emerging Technologies; Leveraging ICTs to Build Information and Knowledge Societies for Achieving the Nations Digital Economy”.
Danbatta said the event was meant to share the vision of the commission with young ICT entrepreneurs in the annals of its telecom regulatory intervention geared towards achieving indigenous content development and sustained innovation in the Nigerian ICT sector.
Represented by the head of research and development, Kelechi Nwankwo, the vice-chairman said: “The ICT sector is currently witnessing an upwardly mobile trajectory underpinned by increasing ICT diffusion in all economic sectors and dimensions of human life and the impacts have become more evident in virtually all countries, Nigeria inclusive.
“The current momentum being witnessed in the Nigeria tech space is no doubt attributable to the regulatory approach of the Commission which is focused on effective regulation of the telecommunication sector in ways that do not inhibit competition but foster innovation, industry growth and socio-economic development”.
NCC Executive Commissioner, Technical Services Ubale Maska said the emerging technologies research and innovation forum was designed to advance the Commission’s agenda of encouraging and supporting the creation of innovation-driven enterprises and digitally enabling MSMEs.
It will at the same time leverage the power of digital technology to position Nigeria, as a leading player in the fourth industrial revolution.
“We have gathered here today, driven by the urgency to facilitate and support ICT innovators, tech enthusiasts and tech entrepreneurs, as a strategy to leapfrog Nigeria into the digital economy”. Maska said.
