NCC highlights the policy, regulatory initiatives for the development of technological innovation

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The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has outlined various policy and regulatory initiatives implemented by the Commission to reaffirm its commitment to ensure the continued development of the startup section of the telecommunications ecosystem in Nigeria.

The executive vice president and chief executive officer (EVC / CEO) of NCC, prof. Umar Danbatta, listed the initiatives during a two-day regional information and communication technology (ICT) innovation forum organized by the commission in Enugu recently.

The annual event, with the theme: “Digital Societies and Emerging Technologies: Leveraging ICTs to Build Information and Knowledge Societies for Achieving the Nation’s Digital Economy”, was attended by representatives of the Commission’s strategic partners, Mobile Network Operators (MNO), Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), Technology Hubs, Technology Innovators and Entrepreneurs, as well as venture capitalists, among others.

Represented by Head, Research and Development, NCC, Kelechi Nwankwo, Danbatta said that the current momentum we are witnessing in Nigeria’s tech space is, without doubt, attributable to the Commission’s regulatory approach, stating that the NCC is committed to effective regulation of the telecommunications sector in ways that do not inhibit competition but rather promote innovation, industrial growth and socio-economic development.

According to him, the NCC as a key driver in the ICT sector and responsive organization, has implemented deliberate policies and initiatives creating an environment that allows Nigerian startups to thrive and grow for greater global impact and value creation.

The EVC said these initiatives include the aggressive and ongoing implementation of the Nigerian National Broadband Plan NNBP, 2020-2025, aimed at increasing broadband penetration to 70% by 2025; guide for the implementation of the National Strategy for Digital Economy and Policy (NDEPS), 2020-2030; and the implementation of the NCC’s 2020-2024 Strategic Management Plan (SMP), all of which are simplified in the 2021-2025 Strategic Vision Plan (SVP) to ensure regulatory effectiveness.

Danbatta stated that other similar initiatives implemented by the NCC to facilitate the development and sustainability of the ecosystem of technology startups are the support and involvement programs of the ICT hubs; the annual Competition and Exhibition for ICT Innovation; the annual hackathon, as well as the ongoing development of ICT parks across the country.

Elaborating more on the ICT Park, he said the NCC is building six tech parks in the geopolitical zones. The first phase of the project is being completed in four areas, namely Enugu in the southeast, Abeokuta in the southwest, Maiduguri in the northeast and Kano in the northwest.

“The project has the strategic intent to increase digital skills among young people, promote innovations, provide jobs for young Nigerians and ultimately support the federal government’s digital economy agenda,” he said.

The CEO of NCC stressed that the ICT Park, which is at various levels of completion, will provide a fully functional Tier-4 Digital Industry Complex (DIC) which will involve a commercial hub for the development of ICT capabilities and digital skills, generation of employment and entrepreneurship, as well as the implementation of smart cities throughout the complex.

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