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NCC overhauls regulatory instruments, management tools for operational efficiency

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Nasiru Yusuf

 

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said it is adjusting regulatory instruments and management tools to ensure regulations are fit for future imperatives of a robust telecoms sector.

 

KANO FOCUS reports that the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management (ECSM), NCC, Adeleke Adewolu, stated this when he spoke at a panel session at the 2021 Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association held in Port Harcourt. The general theme of the Conference is, ‘Taking the Lead’.

Adewolu, who made the declaration in a panel discussion focused on Government Regulation of Innovation and Technology, said, “In specific terms, we are taking action in the following areas: We are adjusting regulatory instruments and management tools to ensure regulations are fit for the future.

“An example is our ongoing review of the Telephone Subscriber Registration Regulations to strengthen the framework for digital identity; and the review of the Spectrum Trading Guidelines to ensure more efficient use of spectrum.”

Also, the ECSM said NCC is laying institutional foundations to enable co-operation with other regulatory institutions and international organisations such as the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

The Commission, according to Adewolu, is also developing and adapting governance frameworks to enable the development of agile and future-proof regulation; and equally adapting regulatory enforcement activities to the “new normal”.

He said this is to ensure alignment with the rapid technological changes and innovations that are emerging at a high speed and with sophistication.

On censorship, particularly tackling illegal and harmful content on over-the-top (OTT) platforms, Adeleke said NCC had to opt for “a middle ground that promotes safe use of digital service platforms without necessarily stifling the exercise of the citizen’s right to free expression as guaranteed in the Nigerian Constitution.”

He explained that on technology platforms, censorship manifests in three scenarios, namely, restriction of person-to-person communications; restriction of Internet access generally; or restriction of access to specific content, which governments find objectionable.

This, he said, was pursuant to constitutional provisions such as those in Section 39(3) of the Nigerian 1999 Constitution, as amended, which approves “any law that is reasonably justifiable in a democratic society to prevent the disclosure of information received in confidence, maintaining the authority and independence of courts or regulating telephony, wireless broadcasting, television or the exhibition of cinematograph films.”

In particular, Adewolu declared that the third scenario is globally recognised as the ideal situation because one of the core responsibilities of government (as enshrined in Chapter 2 of the Nigerian Constitution) is to safeguard the lives and property of citizens.

Explicating further, Adewolu said that social media platforms allow instant communications without regard for impact or consequences. He insisted that self-regulation is possible, but “as we have experienced over and over again, an ill-considered post on social media can easily incite unrest and crises.”

He bemoaned the fact that leading social media platforms have demonstrated a rather unfortunate reluctance to moderate the use of their platforms for subversion and harm. “So, we cannot trust them to self-regulate,” he emphasised.

According to him, self-regulation has not been very effective, and interestingly, “the largest platforms are global platforms and many of them are protected by their home governments.

“For instance, “Sc.230 of US Communications Act provides immunity to firms like Facebook and Google from responsibility for content disseminated on their media, although they still apply fair usage and community rules which enables them to self-regulate.

“However, as we saw with the case of the former US President Donald Trump – people are often able to disseminate negative content for a while before they are cut off. Mr Trump had over 87 million followers he engaged directly with,” the ECSM stated.

Another example he cited happened just few days ago when CNN reported that Facebook deliberately failed to curb posts inciting violence in Ethiopia despite the fact that its own staff flagged such posts, and that Ethiopia is listed as a high-priority zone, which has been fighting a civil war for the past one year.

As Adewolu recalled, the UN Secretary General recently called for the regulation of social media platforms, and even the CEO of Facebook has made similar calls in the past.

“So, we cannot wholly depend on self-regulation. And whilst we cannot prevent citizens from freely expressing themselves on these platforms, it would be irresponsible for any government to allow unbridled use of these mediated communication to cause chaos and imperil lives and property.

“Government must act to protect social cohesion and national security,” he counselled.

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Kano Focus reporter bags West Africa DPI Fellowship

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KANO FOCUS reporter Ms Zulaiha Danjuma has been selected alongside 44 other journalists from Benin, Togo, Nigeria and Ghana for the second edition of the Digital Public Infrastructure (DIP) fellowship.

KANO FOCUS reports the DPI fellowship is an initiative by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) in partnership with Co-develop.

A total of 45 journalists from Nigeria, Togo, Benin and Ghana were selected from 45 News organizations after months of rigorous selection processes.

The fellowship is a three-month programme running from November to January 2025, followed by a three-month post-fellowship period for the production of special reports on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and Digital Public Goods (DPGs).

MFWA’s fellowship seeks to equip participants with skills to create impactful reports on topics such as national digital identification systems, online data security, and digital governance; through specialized workshops, mentorship, and hands-on story production.

Ms Danjuma’s selection for the Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) fellowship recalibrates *Kano Focus* commitment to growth and knowledge gathering of staffs.

 

About the Reporter

Ms Zulaiha Danjuma is a dedicated journalist who has produced impactful Investigative stories on government accountability, health and gender based violence.

In 2023, she carried out a groundbreaking investigation on multifaceted illegal tax extortion, forgery and corruption. In 2024, her report of poor budgetary allocation to Hepatitis B successfully brought the attention of the state government, resulting in commitment to provide additional resources for addressing the issue.

 

Other DPI fellows

Ten fellows were selected from Ghana and Benin, and five fellows from Togo respectively. Nigeria had a total of twenty journalists selected to be part of the second Phase II of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) Fellowship.

Pictures of all fellows:

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Stakeholders meet to validate Kano climate change policy

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Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

Kano State Watershed, Erosion and Climate Change Management Agency in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Partnership for Agile Governance and Climate Engagement (PACE) has conducted a one day meeting to validate Kano State’s Climate Change Policy.

KANO FOCUS reports that the exercise held on Thursday in Kano was attended by several stakeholders from different sectors including Government ministries, departments, and agencies as well as academics, Non Governmental Organisations NGOs, Civil Society and media.

Cross section of participants

Speaking at the occasion, the Commissioner of Environment, Alhaji Nasiru Sule Garo, highlighted the efforts of the Kano state government to address the challenges of climate change in the state.

He commended development partners, academics, civil society organisations and all relevant stakeholders for their contributions, pledging that their inputs will not be taken for granted.

On his part, the Executive Secretary of Kano State Watershed, Erosion and Climate Change Management Agency Dr Muhammad S. Khalid, recalled that the engagement was started in February 2024, where various inputs were collected from different stakeholders on climate change policy.

Dr Muhammad S. Khalid

He said “We started in February 2024, when we had our first stakeholder engagement. We invited various sectors, both government and non-governmental-organisations as well as civil society and academics to develop climate change policy for Kano state.

“In July 2024, we gathered again at Tahir Guests Palace, where we reviewed the first draft and added more inputs. It was a technical session, and we reviewed the document.

“Last week, we gathered at Dutse, Jigawa state, to review the second draft of the climate change policy and today, 7th of November, 2024, to validate the policy and later, present it to the executive governor of Kano state, Engr Abba Kabir Yusuf.

Also speaking the state team of Partnership for Agile Governance and Climate Engagement (PACE), a UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office funded programme Malam Auwalu Hamza, suggested that the validation stage would collect information, advice and other various components of data that would strengthen the policy document.

Malam Auwalu Hamza

In her remarks Stella Terver, UNICEF WASH Programme Officer, Kano Field Office, reiterated the commitment of the UN agency to partner with the Kano government in tackling the impact of climate change in Kano.

Stella Terver

She said, “A few weeks ago, we supported the Kano State Government in the finalization of climate change policy, and one of the outcomes during the finalization is that there should be a validation of the reviewed version.

“All the inputs made by general experts during the finalization would be incorporated so that the state will have a global and standardised policy in place that will help them in assessing global climate change,” she added.

Cross section of participants

She assured the general public and good people of Kano State that the validation and issues of tackling climate change would bring a lot of positive impact to the people of Kano.

KANO FOCUS recalled that the initial stakeholders’ engagement was conducted on February 2024 with support from Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (PERL).

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Gully erosion in Kano: Gov. Yusuf partners World Bank, FG to implement mega project at Gayawa

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Mukhtar Yahya Usman

Governor Abba Kabir has visited Gayawa Gully Erosion site and promised to address the environmental challenges and improve the lives of the people in the area.

In a statement issued by the Governor’s Spokesperson Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, the Governor made this promise during a visit to the site on Friday.

Governor Yusuf said that, the visit marked the new chapter in the journey towards addressing the persistent environmental challenges that have plagues the community of Bulbula- Gayawa for in Ungoggo Local Government which also affects parts of Nasarawa and Fagge local government areas for decades.

He added that, the urgent concerns raised by the devastating gully erosion necessitated immediate and decisive action to protect the lives and properties of the people in the community.

“The destructive effects of the gully erosion has not only claimed the lives but has inflicted untold hardship from the tragic loss of farmlands to the dangers faced by the children as they travel to school.” Gov. Yusuf emphasised

“The site has regrettably became a place where criminal activities flourished and the loss of children due to flooding during the rainy season, it is heartbreaking,” the governor lamented.

He added that, his administration is firmly committed to tackling the erosion challenges in Bulbula- Gayawa as part of the larger mission to address land degradation, environmental risks and impacts of climate change throughout the state.

Governor Yusuf revealed that the work would be done through the Agro-climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscape (ACReSAL) under the supervision of state ministry of environment which enjoys strategic partnership with World Bank and the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The governor also informed the members of the community that, the ground work for the erosion control has been completed and it would require billions of naira to execute.

“The significant steps taken by the state government to halt indiscriminate and illegal sand mining activities in several areas and embarked on extensive land restoration projects including the rehabilitation of shelterbelt at Yanbawa and Sabongarin Ginzo.

“The restoration of over 21,261hectares of degraded land and the establishment of wood lot plantation, this initiative have been instrumental in mitigating desertification restoring land fertility and promoting sustainable livelihood for our people.

“Beyond controlling erosion, we are implementing community support programmes to revive livelihoods and rebuild what has been lost. Our livelihood support includes agricultural inputs and skill-building initiatives that will empower families and foster productivity in a secure and peaceful environment.

“The current administration is committed to ensuring that no community is left behind. Today, we are here to affirm that your voices have been heard, and we will tirelessly work to restore safety, security, and prosperity to Bulbula-Gayawa and its surrounding areas,” the governor assured.

In his response on behalf of the community, Village Head of Zango, Malam Hamza Jibrin Nuhu appreciated the concern shown by the governor, disclosing that Governor Yusuf was the first and only governor that visited the Gully Erosion site.

He also prayed for governor and wished him success in all the good policies planned for the development of Kano.

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