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NCC, LBS Mull Collaboration on Capacity Building

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Nasiru Yusuf

 

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Lagos Business School of Pan-Atlantic University are considering forging a partnership that will result in developing customised capacity building interventions and overhauling of existing training courses offered by the LBS to address critical areas of needs of the Commission’s human capital development.

KANO FOCUS reports that the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, emphasized the imperative of such collaboration during a visit of an LBS delegation led by the School’s Director, Executive Education, Victor Banjo, to the Commission’s Head Office in Abuja recently.

The EVC spoke through NCC’s Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Adeleke Adewolu, who received the LBS delegation (alongside other senior management staff of the Commission) on behalf of the EVC.

Addressing the visiting team, Adewolu said NCC constantly engages in staff training as part its strategy to build managerial and technical skills required to manage the ever-dynamic telecoms regulatory environment in Nigeria.

Adewolu said while LBS, has been a training partner of NCC over the years and currently provides some classes of capacity building to staff of the Commission, it has become necessary to expand the training scope by ensuring that other customized programmes that target specific needs of Commission’s human capital are designed by the School in collaboration with NCC team to meet strategic objectives and enhance the relationship of the two organisations.

Among the areas of interest to the Commission are courses on performance appraisal management, policy formulation and execution, risk management, technical report writing, telecoms-related training, tariff and competition management, as well as basic training on policy formulation and implementation, social media training, audio-visual editing, among others.

“I thank the LBS for its collaboration with NCC over the years in the area of human capital development. However, we expect that LBS will work with NCC to see how we can collectively overhaul the existing courses and bring new course to NCC’s attention which we would, in turn, subject to our training need analysis (TNA). This may result in a review of ur existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) towards making our relationship much stronger and more mutually beneficial,” Adewolu said.

The Executive Commissioner also explained that though NCC is a regulatory agency, it has seen the need for indigenous digital skills development in Nigeria, and that explained the creation creation of the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), by the Commission to meet the human capital needs of the burgeoning telecom, and broadly, the ICT sector.

According to Adewolu, other areas of focus in meeting educational needs of the sector, include indigenous digital skills development, sponsoring of hackathon, provision of research grants to the academia, endowment of professorial chairs in universities, and the acceleration of digital infrastructure deployment across the country to boost digital literacy and skills for Nigeria’s socio-economic development.

Speaking earlier on the purpose of the visit to the Commission, Banjo of LBS, said the business school wishes to serve as a strategic capacity development partner to NCC for its teaming staff; revisit LBS’s existing MoU for necessary enhancements; as well as offer corporate governance, board leadership and management development programmes to enhance corporate effectiveness.

Banjo also commended the NCC for its role in ensuring effective digital transformation in Nigeria. “As the Commission responsible for creating an enabling environment for telecom operators and allied stakeholders in the industry, as well as ensuring the provision of qualitative and efficient telecommunications services throughout the country, NCC has earned a reputation as a foremost Telecom regulatory agency in Africa,” Banjo said.

In addition, the LBS Executive stated that while his organisation will continue to play a prominent and leading role in building leaders with integrity for Nigeria, Africa, and the world, it also believes that with effective directors and leaders in the public sector organisation such as the NCC, Nigeria will be managed more efficiently for greater value and sustainable growth.

“Our conviction at LBS is that telecommunications penetration is one of the critical developments required to transform poverty into prosperity. Our thesis is simple:  the access to and use of mobile telephony contributes to the health of the population and efficiency of the economy. It is equally a lever for poverty reduction as contained in Goal One of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Banjo declared to emphasize the centrality of telecoms as an enabler of development.

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Oil Cabals crippled Govt Refineries, now working against Dangote Refinery – Pastor Adeboye

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Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has urged Nigerians to pray for divine intervention in the face of efforts by unscrupulous oil marketers to thwart the operations of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, following the previous sabotage of Nigeria’s four state-owned refineries.

KANO FOCUS reports that the respected clergyman made the call for nationwide prayers during the November 2024 Abuja Special Holy Ghost Service themed ‘Total Restoration’, which held in the capital city. While Adeboye did not explicitly name the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, his remarks echoed the ongoing attempts by oil marketers to prevent the refinery from functioning as it was designed to.

The Dangote Refinery based in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos is the only facility currently refining petrol in Nigeria, and Adeboye’s comments reflected the dispute between the refinery and oil marketers, who seek to continue importing fuel for personal gain.

Pastor Adeboye reminded the congregation that it was God who raised Aliko Dangote to establish a refinery after years of failed attempts to revive Nigeria’s four public refineries, which had consumed billions of Naira with little result. He questioned the persistence of fuel imports despite Nigeria’s status as a major crude oil producer.

“Are we under a curse?” he asked. “We have four refineries, we poured all kinds of money into them, none of them is working. But God raised someone to build a refinery that works. He is not my relative, he is not from my village. He is not even a Christian, but he is a Nigerian who says, ‘Why should my people suffer when I have the means to build a refinery that can work?’ Now he is refining petrol, and some people want to stop him from selling it, so they can keep importing.”

Adeboye also pointed out the damage caused by the fuel subsidy, describing it as a significant drain on Nigeria’s resources, contributing to the country’s mounting debts and corruption. He stressed that when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced the end of the subsidy in 2023, Nigerians largely welcomed the decision, but oil marketers, who benefitted from the subsidy regime, were furious.

These marketers, the renowned pastor claimed, have formed alliances with some International Oil Companies (IOCs) and other powerful interests to obstruct the Dangote Petroleum Refinery. This includes restricting access to crude oil, forcing Dangote to import crude from countries like the United States, among others.

He called for prayer for the total restoration of the country, noting that the Nigerian people are suffering the consequences, as the prices of essential goods have soared, pushing many items beyond the reach of ordinary citizens. “The masses are the ones suffering because these marketers, who are bent on keeping imports alive, already have more money than they can ever spend,” he said.

Despite the Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s capacity to meet Nigeria’s entire demand for petroleum products – and even to export surplus fuel – oil marketers continue to pressurise the government to allow ongoing petrol imports. This has placed additional strain on the Naira, which has continued to depreciate.

Recently, the Crude Oil Refineries Owners Association of Nigeria (CORAN) urged the government to protect local refineries from unfair competition posed by importers and international petroleum traders, in line with provisions in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

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Gov. Yusuf names Dr. Aminu Magashi Technical Adviser for Kano’s humanitarian and poverty alleviation ministry

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Mukhtar Yahya Usman

In a landmark decision to strengthen Kano State’s humanitarian and poverty alleviation efforts, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has named Dr. Aminu Magashi Garba as the Technical Adviser for the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

The appointment, effective September 28, 2024, was announced by the governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa on Tuesday.

Governor Yusuf emphasized Dr. Magashi’s impressive credentials, highlighting his decades-long dedication to public service and his commitment to improving the lives of Kano’s underserved communities.

The governor’s choice reflects his deep trust in Dr. Magashi’s extensive experience and proven leadership, recognizing him as a pivotal figure in achieving the administration’s humanitarian goals.

Dr. Magashi, with over 30 years in development and humanitarian work, is well-regarded for his influential initiatives.

His notable roles include serving as Chair of the AMG Foundation, leading the Health Policy and Planning Committee of the Nigerian Medical Association, and being the pioneering coordinator of the Kano State Cancer Care Center.

His strategic insights and leadership were also vital as Chairman of the health transition committee, where he collaborated closely with Governor Yusuf to craft a transformative agenda for Kano State’s healthcare future.

He also led the technical committee which supported Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to develop his campaign blueprint in 2022.

With this appointment, Kano State gains a dedicated advisor whose perseverance, humility, and honesty have defined his career.

Dr. Magashi is expected to guide the ministry in developing impactful strategies that address the pressing needs of Kano’s communities, laying the foundation for a more compassionate, resilient future for all.

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Kano State Refutes Allegations of N177 Billion Loan from France

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Mukhtar Yahya Usman

The Kano State Government has publicly denied recent claims that it borrowed N177 billion from France.

Speaking at a press conference, Dr. Hamisu Sadi Ali, Director General of the Kano State Public Debt Management Office, clarified that no new loans have been taken since Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf took office in May 2023.

The allegations, originally reported by local media, suggested that the funds were recently secured from a French lender.

The debt office condemned the report as “malicious” and “politically motivated,” clarifying that it mistakenly links a 2018 loan agreement from the previous administration, led by Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, with the current government.

Dr. Hamisu noted that the 2018 agreement was a 64 million-euro loan from the French Development Agency, intended for the Third National Urban Water Sector Reform Project, and was not associated with the present administration.

In an effort to promote transparency, the state government shared an overview of Kano’s existing debt portfolio, which includes several longstanding foreign loans, such as the Multi-state Road Project and the Malaria Control Booster Project, some dating back to 1992.

Dr. Hamisu also outlined domestic loans totaling billions, contracted by the previous administration under the APC.

The current government highlighted its commitment to debt reduction, announcing that it has already repaid over N63.5 billion in debt in 2024, reducing Kano State’s overall debt to N127.8 billion.

Dr. Hamisu urged the public to disregard the “fake and misleading” report and encouraged media organizations to focus on accurate, investigative journalism.

He underscored the importance of responsible reporting to maintain public trust and informed civic engagement.

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