By Angela Nkwocha
In a bid to transform the country into a full knowledge based economy, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has pledged to increase collaboration with higher institutions of learning across the country.
The Chairman, Board of Commissioners of NCC, Prof. Adeolu Akande, stated this during a courtesy visit by NCC Board members to Bayero University, Kano (BUK) at the weekend as part of activities lined up for the 2020 NCC Board retreat held in Kano State.
According to Akande, who praised the university for producing Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, the NCC superintends a sector that is knowledge-driven and therefore, would not be able to achieve its mandate without strengthening collaboration with citadels of knowledge like BUK and other higher institutions of learning to produce the knowledge base needed to support the growth of the telecoms sector.
“The NCC is superintending a sector that is knowledge-driven. In the absence of the citadels of learning, one could only imagine what would have become of the communications industry. So, if we come to Kano, we need to come to the prime centre of learning in Kano and other universities across the state,” he said.
Thanking the university further for “contributing” Danbatta to the industry, Akande said the sector, which NCC regulates, has also benefited immensely from the knowledge being imparted by the university.
He said the BUK has produced a good ambassador, excellent professional and a man with administrative acumen and superb human relations in Prof. Danbatta.
“Hence, the Board of NCC decided to visit Bayero University with the EVC, who is a ‘home boy’ and to show our appreciation for the services of the EVC, an outstanding product of the university, has been rendering to the nation at the NCC.
We are here also to show that we work together and our coming to Bayero University would be an expression of appreciation of Danbatta’s good work at the NCC,” he said.
In his remarks, Danbatta said all the achievements “we have recorded as NCC can be attributed to the team spirit and cooperation between the Management and Board of NCC even as we are poised to achieve more,” adding that “Our profound prayer is that we leave the NCC better than we met it.”
Danbatta thanked the university’s management for hosting the NCC board despite a short notice, he further used the opportunity to also congratulate Prof. Sagir Abbas for his appointment as the 11th Vice Chancellor (VC) of the university.
While expressing delight to receive the NCC Board, Prof. Abbas noted that the school management cancelled all engagements to receive the board in order to show the university’s high regards for Danbatta, whose name, he said, cannot be omitted in the history of Bayero University.
