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NCC Boss to Receive Vanguard’s Regulator of the Year Award on Friday
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, is set to receive the 2022 Regulator of the Year Award at the highly-coveted Vanguard Personality of the Year Awards.
KANO FOCUS reports that Vanguard Newspaper Limited, the organizers of the event, has said that Danbatta would receive the award category at a ceremony to be held in Lagos on Friday, January 27, 2022 based on the recognition of the professor’s transformational and inspiring leadership, which brought the effective regulatory regime in the telecoms sector, impacting positively on Nigeria’s digital economy ecosystem.
A statement sent to KANO FOCUS by Director, Public Affairs Reuben Muoka said alongside other prominent personalities including state governors like Babagana Zulum of Borno State, Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, Abdulraham Abdulrazaq of Kwara, Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom and Seyi Makinde of Oyo State as well as the Chairman of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, and other Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in professional excellence and service to humanity, Danbatta will stand tall before Nigerians on Friday to receive his category of award.
Profoundly described as Africa’s Regulatory model, Prof. Danbatta has become a model to other African regulators.
A respectable scholar and distinguished academic, Danbatta has displayed a no-nonsense mien in discharging regulatory functions, yet he is generally viewed in the industry as a calm and calculative leader who takes fair but firm decisions in his drive to steady the Nigerian telecom environment. This has, no doubt, inspired many African regulators to adopt Nigeria’s model in order to revamp their regulatory activities.
A professor of telecommunications engineering, Danbatta, before his appointment, had been the Acting Vice Chancellor at the Kano State University of Science and Technology (KUST), and as a lecturer he has supervised more than 60 PhD, M.Eng and B.Eng projects in diverse areas of telecommunications.
Danbatta, however, was not entirely new to the industry before he bacame the NCC boss, as he had a stint at the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) an international centre for advanced communications studies established in 2004 by the NCC for capacity building in diverse areas of Information and Communication Technology as the Vice President of the institute.
His first five years in office witnessed an effective regulatory regime through cutting-edge initiatives, strengthening the role of the telecommunications sector as a major contributor to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Currently leading the charge to achieve the Nigerian National Broad Plan 2020-2025, Danbatta was acclaimed for spearheading the predecessor campaign, which Nigeria attained and surpassed the 30% national target in 2018, from paltry 6% when he took over.
The multiple award-winning professor also midwifed a highly successful 5G spectrum auction last year, while his strides in reviving the Emergency Communications Centers (ECCs) and the introduction of harmonized national emergency communication number (112) helped the NCC to win the International Public Relations Association Golden Award in the year 2021, because of a pivotal role they played in containing the COVID-19 pandemic.
His stellar leadership style was recently rewarded by the organizers of the prestigious Zik Prize, as they bestowed on him the Zik Prize award for Professional Leadership.
Danbatta earned BEng, MSc degrees from the Technical University of Wroclaw in Poland and received his PhD from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. Yet, in spite of his towering achievements, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, remains an epitome of modesty and humility.
Ibrahim Khalil
The Kano State Police Command has arrested eight suspects in separate operations targeting drug peddling and thuggery in Panshekara and Kunchi/Ghari Local Government Area.
KANO FOCUS reports that the command disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday by its spokesperson, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori.
According to the statement, the operations, conducted on September 9, 2026, were part of the command’s intelligence-driven efforts to tackle drug abuse, thuggery and violent crimes across the state.
It said operatives of the Surveillance Team attached to Panshekara Police Division, acting on credible intelligence at about 2:30 p.m., intercepted eight suspects, including a 21-year-old man identified as Samson Yakubu of Samegu Quarters, at a suspected criminal hotspot.
A search of the suspects reportedly led to the recovery of 15 Pregabalin capsules, five Diazepam tablets, 10 Exol tablets and some quantity of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.
The police said the suspects were in custody and undergoing interrogation, while investigations were ongoing to establish the source of the suspected illicit drugs and identify other members of the alleged syndicate.
In a related operation conducted between 1 p.m. and 9 p.m. the same day, operatives of the Kunchi/Ghari Division carried out a coordinated market patrol and raid at Matanfada Market.
The command said the area had been identified as a place where youths allegedly intimidate traders and residents during market sessions.
Five suspects were arrested during the operation. They were identified as Abdullahi Isah of Dustin; Haruna Isah of Daqarawa Village; Habu Badamasi of Dan Taimu Village; Gambo Ya’u of Kura Village; and Abubakar Dahiru of Farau Village.
The police said investigation was ongoing to identify and arrest other suspected accomplices, while exhibits recovered during the operation had been taken into custody as evidence.
CP Bakori commended the operatives for what he described as their professionalism and swift response, assuring residents that the command would sustain its operations against drug abuse, thuggery and other violent crimes.
“In line with the IGP’s policing vision and our mandate to ensure a safe and secure Kano, we will continue to be proactive,” the commissioner said.
“We are sending a clear message to criminal elements that Kano State will not be a breeding ground for their activities.”
The command also appreciated members of the public, community leaders and vigilante groups for providing information that aided the operations.
It urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious movements or activities to the nearest police station.
The command said all suspects would be charged to court after the conclusion of investigations.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The funeral prayer for the late Shehu Kabir Bayero, Barde Kerarriya of Kano and District Head of Dorayi, was held on Thursday evening at Kofar Kudu, Kano Emir’s Palace.
KANO FOCUS reports that the prayer was led by the Chief Imam of Khamsus Salawati Mosque, Kofar Kudu, Malam Bello, and attended by hundreds of people from different parts of Kano State.
Among those who attended were the Secretary to the Kano State Government, Alhaji Umar Faruk; representative of the Emir of Kano, Matawallen Kano, Alhaji Aliyu Ibrahim Matawalle; Chief of Staff to the Kano State Government House, Dr Sani Wali; as well as district heads and members of the Muslim community.
Shehu Kabir Bayero died in a hospital in Egypt following a period of illness. He is survived by his wives, children and other relatives.
Until his death, the late Bayero served as Commissioner of Police in Gombe and Osun states before retiring from the Nigeria Police Force.
Following his retirement, the late Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, appointed him as the Barde Kerarriya of Kano and District Head of Takai Local Government Area after the death of his father, the late Kabir Bayero, an elder brother of the former emir.
He later served as District Head of Gwarzo.
Due to his wealth of experience in security matters, the current Emir of Kano, Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi II, subsequently reassigned him as District Head of Dorayi, where he was expected to contribute to the sustenance of peace and security in the area.
The late district head was remembered for his service to the state and his experience in security and traditional administration.
May Allah forgive his shortcomings, have mercy on his soul and grant him Jannatul Firdaus. Ameen.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Kano State Ministry of Education, with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has held a planning meeting on the implementation and effective utilisation of the Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP) in the state.
KANO FOCUS reports that the meeting brought together relevant stakeholders from various ministries, agencies and development partners working in the education sector.
According to Malam Naziru Sirajo, deputy director EMIS and statistics in the Ministry of Education, the meeting was aimed at reviewing the current status of the Nigeria Learning Passport in Kano and developing a coordinated plan to strengthen its implementation, content utilisation, course completion, monitoring of learners’ progress and certification.
The Nigeria Learning Passport is a digital learning platform designed to provide Nigerian children and young people with access to curriculum-aligned educational content, including lessons, learning materials and assessments.
The platform is also designed to support learning continuity, including for learners facing limited or intermittent internet connectivity, while providing teachers and education stakeholders with digital resources to complement classroom instruction.
In Kano, the initiative is expected to strengthen awareness and utilisation of digital learning, while building the capacity of master trainers and technical teams to support schools, teachers and learners in using the platform effectively.
The effective utilisation of the Nigeria Learning Passport is expected to expand access to quality digital learning resources, promote independent learning, strengthen digital literacy and support improved learning outcomes and greater equity in access to educational opportunities.
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