The Executive Vice Chairman of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta has described the role of media as critical to achieving the digital Nigeria drive of the federal government.
Prof. Danbatta disclosed this Wednesday, August 12, 2020 during the virtual meeting with the online partners of the NCC.
Represented by the Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, the EVC, called for support and continued collaboration in reporting the commission’s activities and initiatives for the good of every Nigerian and for the growth of the telecom industry.
“We call on your support and continued collaboration in reporting our activities and initiatives for the good of every Nigerian and for the growth of the telecom industry, your role is indeed very critical.
“The Commission has as one of its strategic tenets, deliberate partnership and collaboration with our various stakeholders. We see you as a major part of our success and will like to appreciate your contributions, timely and accurate dissemination of news and information regarding our regulatory activities as a telecoms industry regulator,” he said.
The NCC boss said, there has been a considerable increase in the number of people accessing the news via online platforms, especially among younger audiences, therefore, it was part of its vision to make NCC the leading public sector brand in the use of online media for organizational communication and stakeholder engagement.
He noted that “the digital media environment has brought about new opportunities and challenges for online journalists. One of the many benefits of what you do as an online journalist is the real-time dissemination of information and the immediacy it involves.
“The availability of online news 24/7 and its accessibility and availability to consumers make your work very important, you are therefore constantly faced with the challenge of not only reporting events real-time, sometimes, but balancing that need for speed with the accuracy and integrity demanded by your profession,” he said.
Danbatta said, the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), the New National Broadband Plan (2020-2025), the NCC Strategic Management Plan (2020-2024), creation of the Digital Economy Department all underscore the policy directions of the Federal Government which the NCC was expected to drive working with its supervising ministry and other relevant industry stakeholders to extend the frontiers of the digital economy for Nigerians.
“Let me use this opportunity to solicit your continuous support in the area of enlightening the general public on the various consumer-centric regulatory initiatives of the Commission.
“We also urge you to always contact the Commission for necessary clarifications to ensure accurate and adequate reporting of the industry, as the NCC runs an Open House to our media stakeholders.
“Finally, let me reiterate the Commission’s resolve in ensuring that Nigerians are enlightened and carried along on the Commission’s journey to advance the digital economy agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari and you the members of the 4th estate of the realm are indeed critical stakeholders on this journey,” he added.
