Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has been hailed over his efforts in revamping the telecoms sector.
The Citizens Watch Africa, CWA, commended the EVC for introducing reforms to boost stakeholder confidence and attract more investments in critical telecoms infrastructure.
The group, at a media briefing on Tuesday, pointed out that promoting transparency and accountability in the operations of the NCC is crucial for the growth and development of the communication sector in Nigeria, adding that it was good to see that Maida is focused on these important aspects.
Convener of the group, Pastor Dave Ogbole, said that there has been a renewed drive to promote transparency and accountability by the NCC leadership led by Maida.
He said, “This has consequently led to an improvement in the organization’s governance processes. The takeaway from this new drive is the disposition by the leadership of the NCC to ensure a level playing ground for all players in the sector.
“Citizens Watch Africa convener further stated that the new drive at the NCC has indeed re-positioned the agency for improved productivity. This has been evident in the various stakeholder engagement initiatives where feedback is gathered and examined to improve the sector.
“We are using this medium to commend the leadership of the NCC. It is highly dedicated and committed to delivering on its key mandate. The new drive at the NCC has led to a steady increase in active voice and internet subscriptions, including a drop in teledensity.
“It is instructive to state that the nation’s teledensity dropped from 115.63% to 102.30% in September. Broadband penetration dropped from 45.47% to 40.85% in the same month. The active voice subscription statistics witnessed a marginal growth from 220,715,961 to 221,769,883 as of September 2023. In addition, Internet subscriptions also enjoyed a marginal increase, from 159,034,717 in August 2023 to 160,171,125 in September 2023.
“These are indicators of the renewed commitment by the NCC leadership to revamp the sector. Citizens Watch Africa salutes the dexterity and passion of the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida. He hit the ground running with laudable policies to re-position the telecoms industry for optimal productivity.”
The group equally encouraged Maida to “continue to provide excellent leadership required at this critical point of our existence towards our drive for sustainable growth and development”.
