New NCC boss, Maida assumes office, promises affordable internet

The new Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, assumed office on Tuesday with a promise to focus on ensuring that all Nigerians have access to affordable and reliable broadband internet services.

According to a statement released on Wednesday by the Commission’s Director of Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka, the new NCC boss told the Senior Management team of the NCC that he would align the Commission’s regulatory focus to achieve the promises of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda to advance the nation’s digital transformation agenda.

He noted that the NCC under his leadership would ensure “effective broadband infrastructure diffusion across the length and breadth of Nigeria.”

The new telecom regulator was said to have paid tributes to former chief executives of the Commission for their laudable role in building a resilient telecoms industry.

Dr. Maida said the pursuit of improved quality of service on the networks will be one of his priorities, as well as supporting the vision of the Federal Government and the Ministry of Communications, Innovations, and Digital Economy.

Emphasizing the need to build more telecom infrastructure across the country, the new NCC boss said:

While noting that President Tinubu has a very clear agenda from which all government agencies must take a cue, Maida said:

He stated further that, in the Strategic Plan of the Minister, there was a plan to empower three million Nigerians in digital skills and entrepreneurship, adding that this will require the Commission to support Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) as a digital training institution, to be well positioned in driving the government’s agenda on youth empowerment.

President Tinubu last Wednesday named Maida as the new EVC/CEO of NCC in a shakeup that affected three agencies under the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy.

This saw the exit of Prof Umar Danbatta, who had occupied the position since August 2015.