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NCC rallies media stakeholders to enhance effective reporting of telecoms industry  

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Nasiru Yusuf

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Consistent with its strategic objective of stakeholder collaboration and partnering, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) recently met a section of stakeholders in the mass media industry.

KANO FOCUS reports that the forum was a workshop, organised to keep Nigerian journalists who specialise in reporting the telecom and ICT sector, abreast of emerging developments in the telecom industry, in order to ensure the general public receives contextual, interpretive and illuminating reporting of telecom matters.

The journalists, who attended the workshop under the aegis of the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters’ Association (NITRA), Abuja Chapter, reveled in the opportunity provided by NCC to glean emerging trends and topical regulatory issues in the telecom industry.

The workshop was part of NCC’s commitment to encouraging continuous professional development of journalists because the Commission sees good journalism as central, both to the achievement of its mandate and to the flourishing our nation’s democratic project.

The training programme featured intense sessions focused on understanding the renewal the Commission has brought to bear on many major industry issues, including International Termination Rate (ITR) for voice services, benefits of the National Identity Number/Subscriber Identity Module linkage (NIN-SIM integration), the menace of illegal use of GSM boosters, updates on Fifth Generation (5G) deployment plan, spectrum administration, as well as compliance monitoring and enforcement, and other emergent regulatory matters.

Speaking at the workshop, which also featured special focus group discussions facilitated by subject-matter experts and senior officials of the Commission from selected departments of the Commission, the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, said approval for the training was granted by Management as it is in tandem with the Commission’s media relations and stakeholder engagement strategy.

“Given the dynamic nature of the digital space and its impact on the economy, we believe this demands that our media partners are brought up to speed with the current requirements for maximum productivity and effective reporting of the telecom industry,” Danbatta, who was represented by the Director, Public Affairs, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, asserted to justify the relevance of the workshop.

The EVC said, through capacity-building initiatives such as the workshop organised for professionals in the media industry, “we would build multually-beneficial relationships for sustained media support as we continue to discharge our mandate of regulating this dynamic sector for the benefit of Nigerians and the economy as a whole.”

Accordingly, Danbatta said NITRA is a long-standing strategic partner of the Commission and the knowledge empowerment programme through this workshop seeks to provide a platform for equipping stakeholders in the media with the knowledge and skill sets they require for effective, efficient and professional reporting.

The EVC, who commended the media stakeholders for their support over the years, said, without the support from journalists and other communication professionals, NCC would not have been able to deliver on its mandate as effectively as it is has done over the years.

Accordingly, Danbatta enjoined all members of NITRA to continue to support NCC’s programmes, activities, and initiatives with the same enthusiasm with which they have been prioritising timely, adequate and accurate reportage of the nation’s telecom sector to enhance Nigeria’s growth and development.

Danbatta also stated that the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020-2030, the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025, the NCC Strategic Management Plan (SMP) 2020-2024, the creation of a Digital Economy Department in the Commission, among others, underscored the policy directions of the Federal Government which the NCC is diligently driving by working with relevant industry stakeholders, including the media, to deepen commitment to a digital Nigeria.

“So, it is expected that by empowering the media as our key stakeholders, they would be willing to ensure that members of public are accurately and adequately informed and are aware of the Commission’s regulatory strides toward building a robust digital economy for our country,” the EVC said.

Speaking on behalf of members of NITRA after the training, the Chairman NITRA, Abuja Chapter, Blessing Olaifa, commended the Commission for providing a platform for sensitisation of media stakeholders on contemporary matters within the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) ecosystem, particularly the telecom industry and especially the initiatives of the Commission in protecting telecom’s consumers.

Olaifa, who was represented by NITRA’s Secretary-General, Emmanuel Elebeke, applauded the Commission for consistently supporting and partnering with the media organization.

Olaifa stated that this demonstrates how transparent and accessible NCC has been to its stakeholders.

“We must commend NCC for its regulatory strides over the years. The success of the 5G auction in December last year easily comes to mind as one of the recent achievements of the Commission, among several others.

“So, this capacity-building programmes will help to provide a collaborative partnership for an advanced digital economy and towards boosting the fortunes of ICT for development in Nigeria. Today, we have been thoroughly enlightened as better specialists in ICT journalism,” Olaifa said.

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Abuja Transport Workers Weep, Protest MD’s Removal

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Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

 

The staff of the Abuja Urban Mass Transport Company have protested the sacking of the agency’s Managing Director, Najeeb Mahmoud Abdulsalam.

KANO FOCUS reports that the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, had on Wednesday ordered the removal of heads of the FCT agencies and parastatals.

However, videos that emerged on Thursday night showed staff members of AUMTCO in tears, as they protested Abdulsalam’s removal.

The weeping protesters, who gathered around the sacked MD, are seen in a trending video chanting, “We want you back!”.

One of the protesters who shared the video on Twitter wrote, “#GovWike, Abuja Urban Mass Transport Company MD/CEO is just three months old in office and he has achieved what no past MD has ever dreamt or dare to achieve. It’ll be a loss on you sir and the entire #AUMTCO staff if you let him go. See us here protesting sir.”

A fellow of National Institute of Management, Abdussalam was Senior Special Assistant to Kano state Governor on students matters.

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Demolition: Kano govt appeals N30bn compensation judgement

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Demolition at Abubakar Rimi Market

Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

 

 

The Kano State Government has appealed a Federal High Court judgement that ordered it to pay N30 billion as compensation to some traders for the demolition of their shops.

KANO FOCUS reports that a Federal High Court sitting in Kano and presided over by Justice Simon Anogede, had, while delivering judgement in the case filed by the Traders Association, said what the government did was barbaric and unconstitutional.

The court however awarded N30 billion as compensation to the traders, instead of the N250 billion they demanded from the government.

However, the Kano State government says it has appealed the judgement, which it described as miscarriage of justice.

Barrister Haruna Isa Dederi, the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, explained that the court was not right in awarding judgement to the Traders Association because the Land Use Act is clear on the position of lands in every state.

He insisted that the court lacked the jurisdiction to even listen to the case because government is the sole owner of land, according to the Land Use Act.

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ACReSAL plans to increase city parks to 50 in Kano, laments indiscriminate felling of trees

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Dr Dahiru Muhammad Hashim

Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

 

 

 

 

The Kano Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL), has said that it will increase city parks to 50 in Kano.

KANO FOCUS reports that the Project Coordinator Dr Dahiru Muhammad Hashim made this known while addressing newsmen on Thursday in Kano.

He said the project is planning to recover and restore lost landscapes arising from natural causes and human activities.

”We are committed to addressing the environmental challenges that affect the state such as climate change, drylands, erosion and flooding, land degradation, and issues that affect the livelihood of communities which is mainly agriculture.

”The ACReSAL project is anchored on four broad components that speak essentially to the demand of the poor whose livelihoods have been distressed,” he said.

Hashim also said that the ACReSAL project has drilled solar-powered boreholes and established tree nurseries in some local government areas of the state.

He said that the intervention would boost agriculture and improve the standard of living of the people while the tree nurseries would help to combat desertification and soil erosion.

He expressed the commitment of the state in improving and protecting the Kano environment with priority and attention to the sector on issues of biodiversity conservation and restoration of degraded lands.

“ACReSAL plans to undertake Erosion control work in Rarin, Dawakin Tofa and Bulbula/Gayawa, Nassarawa, and Ungogo Local government areas.

“Construction of water conservation structure and provision of minor irrigation facilities in ‘Yartiti, Shanono, and construction of water conservation structure and provision of minor irrigation facilities in Fajewa, Takai Local government area.

“Establishment of 100ha individual farmer orchards and Woodlot plantations, 200ha of woodlot in communal forests and institutional plantings.

“440ha farmer-managed natural regeneration of indigenous tree species on individual farmlands and communal forests and promotion of climate-smart agriculture through FLID and CRF among others,” he said

KANO FOCUS reports that the World Bank’s 700 million dollar ACReSAL project is being implemented in collaboration with the federal government and the 19 northern states and the FCT was recently officially launched in Bauchi by Gov. Bala Mohammed, thus becoming the first among the participating states to unveil the project implementation.

The ACreSAL project is embarked on by the Federal Government to build community resilience as well as improve the sustainable productivity of its natural resources in Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe, Zamfara, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Plateau, Adamawa, Taraba, Niger, Kwara, and Kaduna.

These northern states including the FCT, the federal government said are faced by rapid desert encroachment ranging from severe to moderate and marginal.

Other incentives of the project are the strengthening of the environment for integrated climate-resilient landscape management, fighting issues surrounding desertification, drought, landscape degradation, and deprivation at community levels as well as resuscitating the sectors of agriculture, environment, and water resources.

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