Maida: Strengthening Nigeria’s Diplomacy Via Quality Telecommunications Regulatory Leadership, Action
By Clifford Agugoesi, Editor-in-Chief
Many an avid follower of telecommunications sector regulatory authority, the Nigerian Communications Commission(NCC), will have noticed that through the leadership and action of the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer(EVC/CEO) of the Commission, Dr. Aminu Maida, the agency nay Nigeria, have been witnessing increasing visibility and participation in international telecommunications media and technology (TMT) or ICT fora, which, within diplomatic circles, is dubbed telecommunications diplomacy.
Telecommunications diplomacy could be defined as a diplomatic strategy that deploys telecommunications and information and communication technologies (ICTs) to attain diplomatic goals.
Recall that Maida was confirmed on Thursday, November 16, 2023 in Abuja, north central Nigeria by the Upper Chamber of the Nigerian National Assembly, the Senate, during its plenary session, where it adopted a report of its Committee on Communications, that screened Maida on Wednesday, November 15, 2023.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Communications, and former Minister of Communications, Senator Ikra Aliyu Bilbis, who submitted the report, urged the Senate to consider the request of President Bola Tinubu for the confirmation of Maida for appointment as the country’s Chief Telecom Regulator.
According to Senator Bilbis, the Committee had screened Maida, who had earlier passed all scrutiny by the relevant security agencies in the security governance sector. Bilbis informed the Senate that Maida possessed the requisite qualifications, professional experience, competence, and regulatory capacity to ensure accelerated development of the nation’s telecommunications sector.
Maida told the committee that his top priorities were to improve coverage and connectivity by bridging access gaps between rural and urban communities through increased broadband infrastructure as well as increasing the quality of service (QoS) and quality of experience (QoE) for the consumers to enable them get value for money.
He also stated that, under his stewardship, he would ensure that the Commission’s licensees numbering over 8,000 across different segments of the sector, were made to adhere strictly to their Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with their consumers in terms of service delivery.
Maida also said that he would create a more conducive environment for investment in the sector and promised to work with the dynamic team at the NCC to “re-think” how the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) would be better leveraged to bridge the extant digital divide in the country.
The NCC boss also promised to prioritise inter-agency collaboration towards achieving the current blueprint for the digital economy sector, just as he said that the ongoing review of the NCA 2003 would lead to greater innovation for improving the performance of the sector and solicited the support of the National Assembly to succeed.
He further emphasised his commitment towards aligning regulatory activities with the Strategic Plan of the Ministry of Communications, Innovations and Digital Economy, developed to accelerate the actualisation of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government.
It would appear, from the outset, locally, Maida was perceived as a round peg in a round hole while the gaze of the international community, that was increasingly being fixated on him, served to validate his requisite qualifications, professional experience, competence, and regulatory capacity to ensure accelerated development of Nigeria’s telecommunications sector, but project his leadership and actions at the international arena.
TMT advocacy body, the International Institute of Communications(IIC) listed Maida among the early bird speakers to grace its maiden Botswana Forum held in Gaborone from September 10-12, 2024. IIC confirmed the NCC boss alongside :
- Deputy Director, ICT and Telecommunications Regulation, MINPOSTEL, Cameroon, François Joseph Nnemete Beyeme
- Government Affairs & Legal Director for the Africa Transformation Office, Microsoft, Akua Gyekye
- Associate Professor, LINK Centre, University of the Witwatersrand, Ntsibane Ntlatlapa (Assoc. Prof.)
- Lead, Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, EMEA Project Kuiper, Amazon, Helen Kyeyune
- CEO, Lesotho Communications Authority (LCA) Nizam Goolam
We can tell you authoritatively that Maida’s leadership and action were self evident as the programmes unfolded.
He was literally the cynosure of all eyes at the afternoon Regional Regulators Forum, Tuesday September 10, 2024 wherein the Forum x-rayed:
- Regulatory evolution and re-engineering – what are the key pillars for success in the digital era?
- Aligning policy and regulation to support the digital economy and digital transformation for all.
Ditto at the evening Networking Reception open to all delegates at the Hilton Garden Inn, wherein Nigeria’s chief telecoms regulator, was diligent at virtually all the themes for discussion namely:
-Tackling affordability to close the digital usage gaps in Africa: policy & regulatory levers (data plans, price floors, handsets)
-International connectivity: submarine cables, LEO satellites, terrestrial fibre. Competition and open access policies, regulatory harmonisation, regional collaboration
-Efficient methods for the assignment of high demand spectrum
-Media literacy and digital skills policy: regulatory reforms, educational integration, public awareness and engagement
-Impact of new media and digital platforms on traditional broadcasting: content development, distribution and consumption
-E-Commerce and e-services: enhancing consumer protection, data privacy, and trust to support economic growth, innovation and trade
-Critical infrastructure security: reform, resilience and collaboration
(See https://www.cyberera.com.ng/botswana-forum-2024-report/).
A circular dated January 15, 2024, (Ref. No.CAO,175/S.III.157) titled: Redefining Of The Presidential Priority Areas Of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Administration, e-signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, and addressed, among others, to Chief Executive Officers of Parastatals Agencies And Government-owned Companies, redefined the Government’s Priority Areas as follow:
- Reform the economy to deliver sustained inclusive growth.
- Strengthen national security for peace and prosperity.
- Boost agriculture to achieve food security.
- Unlock energy and natural resources for sustainable development.
- Enhance infrastructure and transportation as enablers of growth.
- Focus on education, health, and social investment as essential pillars of development.
- Accelerate diversification through industrialisation, digitisation, creative arts, manufacturing & innovation.
- Improve governance for effective service delivery.
The circular went further to direct all Ministries, Departments and Agencies(MDAs) to ensure that their Policies, Programmes and Projects are aligned with Mr. President’s Priority Areas pursuant to the Renewed Hope Agenda and to give them their deserving publicity and attention.
We can testify that the kernel of the circular from the SGF has not been lost on Maida’s NCC and her sister agencies-NITDA, NDPC, Galaxy Backbone, NigComSat, NIPOST and USPF. So, whether alone or in company of the supervising Minister of the Federal Ministry of Communication, Innovation & Digital Economy (FMoCIDE) Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, at global TMT fora such as Gitex, WMC, ITU World Radiocommunications Conference, IIC MENA Chapter meeting, et cetera, this message of the circular appears to colour the outings of these agency heads and their supervising ministries.
“I would like to stress at the heart of the Commission’s Strategic Vision is the commitment to meet the expectations of our stakeholders: the Consumers, the Industry/Licensees, and the Government,” Maida told his audience as he approached the endpoint of his speech at the 93rd edition of the Telecoms Consumer Parliament (TCP 93.0) held at the Communications and Digital Economy Complex Auditorium, Abuja, north central, Nigeria, November 8, 2024.
Maida’s leadership and impact at the IIC Botswana Forum did not go unnoticed, for hardly had the forum wrapped up than the IIC appointed him to its Board of Directors.
In providing the rationale for Maida’s appointment, the IIC wrote: “Currently serving as the EVC/CEO at NCC, Dr. Maida plays a pivotal role in shaping Nigeria’s telecommunications landscape. Under his leadership, the NCC continues to advance connectivity, foster innovation, and promote a competitive and inclusive telecommunications industry.”
Asked to share with us the benefits that Maida’s appointment potentially could bring to Nigeria, someone in the know of how the NCC works and is active in TMT fora in Nigeria and internationally, who chose to remain anonymous, thinks that Maida’s appointment was shaped more by the perception of Nigeria as a volte force in global telecommunications matters than the consideration of Maida’s leadership and action. He told us over WhatsApp: “I think recognition of Nigeria is the key benefit. I am not sure the new NCC EVC/CEO has fully acclamatised into telecoms and to the extent of receiving such recognition on his own. It is because Nigeria is seen as a key player in shaping world telecom policies.”
All in all, the greatest beneficiary of Maida’s telecommunications diplomacy would be the Nigerian telecoms consumer. The NCC boss said this much at the TCP 93.0: “I dare say that the government and operators thrive on satisfied consumers. To achieve this, our focus has evolved from simply demanding quality service to ensuring a holistic Quality of Experience throughout the telecom consumer’s lifecycle….”
