By Emmanuel Adeleke
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, at the weekend bagged Award of Exemplary Leadership in Public Service.
This was contained in a statement issued by NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka, on Sunday.
According to the statement, the award was conferred on Danbatta at the 12th Anniversary Lecture and Award of Nigerian NewsDirect, one of the longstanding media players in the Nigerian communications industry, at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, on Friday.
Danbatta, who was represented at the occasion by the Director, Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka, said it was gratifying to have been considered worthy of the award in recognition of the initiatives deployed by the commission in carrying out its statutory mandate.
He said that the theme, ‘Good Governance: Private and Public Sectors’ Roles in Raising Revenue, Growth and Positive Turnaround of Nigerian Economy,’ provided the veritable opportunity for all stakeholders to seek better ways of advancing the course of good governance, both in public office and in the private sector of the Nigerian economy.
In giving concrete expression to the strategic vision of the commission with respect to the theme of the programme, Danbatta said NCC is ever determined to ensure collaboration with all stakeholders in the Nigerian communications industry and even beyond as it remains one of the surest ways of enabling a positive turnaround of the Nigerian economy.
Danbatta apreciated the organisers of the programme for the award and acknowledged that it was a call for more work to be done to push the frontiers of good governance that ensures national development and economic growth.
While presenting the award, the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Nigerian NewDirect, Dr Samuel Ibiyemi, said Danbatta was eminently qualified and deserving of the prestigious recognition on the strength of the huge role he has played in the attainment and surpassing of Nigeria’s national broadband target of 30 percent in 2018 and that he is currently among those leading the charge for the realisation of the new national broadband penetration target of 70 per cent by 2025.
Ibiyemi stressed that with the incontrovertible facts on the ground, it was easy for the board and management of his organisation to agree that through an effective regulatory regime and various cutting-edge initiatives, Danbatta has stabilised the telecoms industry and strengthened the sector as a major contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth and boosted telecoms investment inflows from $36 billion to over $70 billion between 2015 till date.
Other eminent Nigerians who were conferred with various categories of awards at the event include the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami; Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun; Managing Director, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Bello Hassan; and Executive Chairman, Benue State Internal Revenue Service, Mimi Adzape among others.
