News
Automation, Next Stage of Service Delivery in Public Sector – Danbatta
Nasiru Yusuf
The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Umar Garba Danbatta has said leveraging the potential of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to automate service delivery should be the next frontier of excellent service delivery to Nigerians by public institutions.
KANO FOCUS reports that Danbatta made the assertion in a goodwill message presented on his behalf by NCC’s Director, Public Affairs, Ikechukwu Adinde, at the opening ceremony of a three-day SERVICOM retreat, which started on December 1, 2021 at the Communications and Digital Economy Complex, Mbora, Abuja.
The retreat focused on, ‘Charter Performance Monitoring and Reporting’, was aimed at monitoring the implementation of the NCC’s Client Service Charter, identifying gaps, measuring and evaluating the progress of service delivery in the Commission.
SERVICOM, an acronym derived from SERVICE COMPACT WITH ALL NIGERIANS, speaks to a special social contract between the Federal Government through its institutions (Ministries, Department and Agencies) and the Nigerian people that ensures services are delivered in a courteous, prompt and efficient manner.
Speaking at the event, attended by staff of NCC, Adinde said the NCC has been living up to its expectation as one of the public institution that has continued to implement the Service Charter with all its various stakeholders.
The Director Public Affairs stated that the digital economy drive of the Federal Government should mean that more services be delivered online to the people of Nigeria and in a more efficient manner in line with the philosophy of SERVICOM.
He said the NCC is an important partner of SERVICOM in its journey towards service delivery and excellence, and invited the participants to recall that fact in the passion and commitment of Prof. Danbatta in ensuring that telecom service providers deliver optimal service to varied categories of stakeholders.
“Therefore, from our perspective as regulator of the digital ecosystem in Nigeria, we feel that automation of service should be the next stage of service delivery.
While we have started this journey with the example of REMITA, which has brought about a lot of efficiency and transparency into the payment remittances by public and Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) of government,” Adinde stated.
On the implementation of the NCC Charter for SERVICOM, Adinde said the NCC boasts of one of the best and brightest brains that could be found in the public sector as civil servants, who are ingrained with good work ethics and culture.
“Our staff are renowned for their warmth and geniality when dealing with internal and external stakeholders. They work as a team on the principle of achieving Specific Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound (SMART) objectives of the Commission,” he said.
Adinde also listed the roles of the Commission in collaborating with other MDAs in various ways, in order to achieve policy objectives of government in many fronts.
He also highlighted a number of corporate social responsivity (CSR) projects of the Commission being implemented singly or jointly with other MDAs towards achieving the objective of government to serve the citizenry better.
As a further demonstration of the duty NCC owes telecoms consumers, whose interest must be protected in line with Nigerian Communications Act (NCA), 2003, Adinde said NCC created the Consumer Affairs Bureau in September 2001, to ensure consumer protection through policy development and monitoring, advocacy, as well as information and education of all shades of stakeholders.
“Consequently, NCC is one of the few MDAs that has a dedicated toll-free number, designed specifically for the escalation of issues between telecommunications service providers and consumers.
We also constantly monitor the Quality of Service (QoS), ensuring that service delivery issues are within the acceptable key performance indicators (KPIs),” Adinde said.
Meanwhile, the National Coordinator/Chief Executive Officer of SERVICOM, Nnena Akajemili, in her remark at the event, commended NCC for contributing to the cultivation of effective communication between the Commission and its various stakeholders for improved service delivery.
Akajemili acknowledged the commitment of NCC towards facilitating major activities, even as she affirmed that the Commission had improved significantly in delivering its key regulatory functions.
Akajemili also observed that NCC went the extra mile in engaging its stakeholders as well as creating affinity between itself and its stakeholders.
Akajemili stated that she was particularly gratified by NCC’s contribution of 11.94 per cent to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), based on the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report for the third quarter of 2021. However, the SERVICOM Chief Executive beseeched the Commission sustain and expand on its collaboration with other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) specifically in the area of data management, CSR, Value Added Services (VAS) and short codes, to enhance greater synergy among MDAs.
Head, Legislative and Government Relations, NCC and SERVICOM Nodal Officer at the Commission, Bashir Bello, said SERVICOM, as a service delivery initiative, requires everyone to put in his or her best in achieving desired objectives.
He emphasized the role of Management’s support, education, and commitment towards improving and consolidating the various SERVICOM interventions that had been initiated.
The event was attended by SERVICOM Team leads, departmental liaisons officers in the NCC, SERVICOM rapporteurs, and other staff of the Commission.
Mu
Bayero University, Kano (BUK) has recorded a landmark academic achievement following the release of the results from the 2024 accreditation exercise conducted by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
In what has been described as a resounding endorsement of the University’s academic standards and quality assurance framework, all 53 academic programmes presented for evaluation were granted full accreditation or accredited status.
The accreditation, conducted between October and November 2024, covered undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across key faculties including Administration, Agriculture, Allied Health Sciences, Arts, Computing, Education, Engineering, Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Social Sciences.
According to a statement signed by the University Registrar, Haruna Aliyu, the development affirms BUK’s unwavering commitment to academic excellence, curriculum innovation, and sustained infrastructural and faculty development.
“This milestone is a testimony to the quality of education and institutional governance at BUK. It validates our position as one of Nigeria’s premier universities,” the statement said.
Key Highlights:
• Administration Faculty recorded full accreditation across 13 programmes including the Master of Accounting and Financial Management, MBA, and Islamic Banking & Finance.
• Agriculture, Medicine, Pharmacy, and all Engineering programmes received full accreditation, reinforcing the University’s strength in science-based disciplines.
• The Education Faculty had a sweeping success with 14 programmes earning full accreditation.
• Courses in Arts, Social Sciences, Computing, and Science were all rated “Full” by the NUC.
This success is more than academic—it means that all current and prospective students of these programmes can be assured that their education meets the highest national standards. It also ensures the continued recognition of their certificates for employment, postgraduate studies, and participation in national youth service.
Strengthening Nigeria’s Higher Education Landscape
The Registrar expressed appreciation to the National Universities Commission for its rigorous evaluation process and acknowledged the dedication of BUK’s Deans, Heads of Departments, academic staff, and support personnel who worked tirelessly to meet and surpass the benchmarks.
“This achievement is not an end but a motivation to continue pushing the boundaries of knowledge, research, and community engagement. We remain committed to nurturing leaders and innovators who will contribute meaningfully to Nigeria and the world,” he added.
As BUK celebrates this landmark, the University is inviting stakeholders, prospective students, parents, and the global academic community to partner in its journey of growth and excellence.
Headlines
Governor Yusuf Pays Over 3 Billion for Secondary School Students to Sit for NECO, NABTEB, NBAIS
Mukhtar Yahya Usman
The Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has expended over 3 billion naira for 141,175 (one hundred and forty-one thousand, one hundred and seventy-five) Kano students who passed the 2024 qualifying examinations to sit for this year’s NECO, NABTEB, and NBAIS (2025).
In a statement issued by the Governor’s Special Adviser on Information, Ibrahim Adam, it was noted that the Commissioner for Education, Ali Haruna Makoda, announced to newsmen in Kano that the State Ministry of Education had released the results of the qualifying examinations for secondary school students in Kano.
These students are studying under the Kano State Teachers Service Board and the Science and Technical Schools Board, where 75 percent of them qualified to write the senior school certificate examinations of NABTEB, NECO, and NBAIS (for Arabic students).
Ali Haruna Makoda stated that the students eligible for payment by the Kano State Government under Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf are those who scored five credits and above.
The Commissioner maintained that all secondary school principals and directors should notify their students of their results so that the state government can effect the payment.
The 2025 qualifying exams for NECO, and NABTEB will enable the students to sit for their 2025 examinations required for admission into tertiary education.
Ibrahim Adam, the Special Adviser to Governor Yusuf on Information, said that since the inception of the administration in May 2023, it has settled registration fees for Kano indigent students for NECO, NABTEB, and NBAIS.
The Special Adviser pointed out that apart from settling the fees, Governor Yusuf’s administration has also paid huge outstanding debts for NECO, and NABTEB left behind by former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s administration.
He also said it is part of Governor Yusuf’s declaration of a state of emergency on education and an effort to mitigate the high number of out-of-school children that have bedeviled the state.
The Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) Project, Kano has commenced a week-long competition across selected secondary schools as part of its commitment to the holistic development of adolescent girls.
KANO FOCUS reports that the AGILE Week 2025 features volleyball, basketball, spelling bee, painting, poetry, essay writing, short story and content creation competitions.
GGC Dala VS GGC Kano
On Basketball Girls category, Government Girls College Dala won 1st position, Government Girls College Kano 2nd while Army Day Secondary School emerged 3rd, while on male category Ahmadiyya College won 1st position with Army Day Secondary School as runners up.
On volleyball Girls category Army Day Secondary School won 1st position, Government Girls College Dala emerged 2nd while Government Girls College Kano secured 3rd position, while on male category Government Girls Secondary School Minjibir won 1st position with Ahmadiyya College as runners up.
Basketball competition
Speaking during the ongoing AGILE Games 2025 Week activities at the Government Girls College (GGC) Gala, State Project Coordinator, Malam Mujtaba Aminu, explained the purpose of the event and its significance.
“We are here for the AGILE Week. It is a key programme under the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment Project. This initiative is designed to showcase talent and intellectual skills among adolescent girls,” he said.
Basketball Competition
Aminu noted that sporting activities were chosen to help build confidence, encourage healthy competition, and foster teamwork among girls.
“Yesterday, we held a basketball competition where the winners emerged, and today we are continuing with volleyball. The top players from these games will be selected to represent the state in a friendly match against Kebbi State next week.”
Malam Mujtaba Aminu and Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
According to him, the event is not just a one-off occurrence. “It’s an annual event designed for this purpose. Initially, it was rolled out in seven states, but now the programme has expanded to include 18 to 21 states. So, next year’s games and competitions will be even bigger.”
The AGILE Project, supported by the World Bank, aims to improve secondary education opportunities for adolescent girls in Nigeria by enhancing infrastructure, providing scholarships, and supporting life-skills programmes—of which AGILE Week is a vital component.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim ANIPR,
Communication Officer,
AGILE Kano.
BUK Achieves 100% Success in 2024 NUC Accreditation: 53 Programmes Fully Approved
Governor Yusuf Pays Over 3 Billion for Secondary School Students to Sit for NECO, NABTEB, NBAIS
AGILE Kano commences inter school competition among adolescent girls, boys
Abdussamad Rabi’u pays tribute to his father Khalifa Isyaku Rabi’u
2025 Hajj:Kano Pilgrims Board Deploys 300-Man Team, Unveils Seven Key Committees
AGILE partners ICEADA in promoting girls education in 6 Kano LGAs
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ACF inaugurates security committee in Kano
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