The executive vice chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, has been awarded the Leadership Excellence and Economic Impact Award by the African Leadership Organisation (ALO), publishers of The African Leadership magazine for his exemplary leadership of the commission.
The award conferment took place recently at the ALO’s annual Africa Legislative, Legal and Good Governance Conference, at the Sheraton Hotel Abuja, where ALO rallied stakeholders to its conference focused on “Policy, Justice and Global Cooperation for Building Back Better”.
The event was organised in collaboration with the National Bar Association (NBA) of the United States of America.
According to the ALO, Danbatta was deserving of the award because of his outstanding achievements as the chief telecom regulator in Nigeria, especially over the past five years and has overseen the country’s telecom sector’s achievement of spectacular landmarks. The ALO said these concrete, measurable signposts include the successful auction of the 3.5 gigahertz (GHz) spectrum band marked for the deployment of the Fifth Generation (5G) networks and his uncommon regulatory strides. These have continually created a level-playing field for investors to reflate telecom-induced growth of the economy in the post-pandemic era.
Presenting the award to Danbatta, the chairman, ALO, Dr. Ken Giami, said that in keeping with the ALO’s tradition of celebrating African excellence and achievement, it has continued to showcase the bright sides of the continent’s success stories by recognising deserving individuals. Giami mentioned Danbatta as one of the individuals whose efforts have been instrumental to the growth of the Nigerian economy.
“Danbatta’s visionary contribution to the society is making our communities better places for all and his contribution continues to shape Africa’s socio-economic growth and development. Danbatta has exemplified resilience, determination and commitment in business and policy landscapes despite the diverse challenges on the continent. This is why we are recognising him today as an icon of leadership,” he said.
Reiterating the objective of the ALO, Giami asserted that at the heart of ALO’s founding philosophy is the passion for the progress of the continent, all Africans and people of African descent. He stated that the organisation’s philosophy explains its tireless showcasing of opportunities in Africa and African excellence to the global community.
Receiving the award on behalf of Danbatta, a deputy director, legal and regulatory services department, NCC, Chizwa Whyte, appreciated the ALO for the award and stated that the NCC considers it an encouragement to do more in regulating the nation’s telecommunications sector. Whyte commended ALO for its recognition of the excellent leadership offered by the NCC boss in taking the telecoms industry in Nigeria to a higher level of significance and relevance.
“This recognition is a clarion call to us to do more for the industry by ensuring good policies and regulatory initiatives are emplaced to ensure the Federal Government’s policy direction on the digital economy is achieved,” Whyte said.
A statement by NCC’s director, public affairs, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, said the ALO has committed the last 14 years to promote good governance and impactful leadership on the continent, promoting African opportunities and African dignity globally. The objective of ALO is being achieved through the promotion of Afrocentric and reputation-boosting content, facilitation of African trade and market entry solutions across communities and business networking platforms, as well as through public sector training and consulting.
