The new Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, has said that as part of the refocusing of the Commission, Nigerians will be made to access to affordable and reliable broadband services.
Dr. Maida, who spoke to the Senior Management team of the Commission at the Commission’s Head Office in Abuja yesterday, October 17, said that there is a need to ensure that the NCC strategically focuse on ensuring that all Nigerians have access to affordable and reliable broadband services.
Part of this is to ensure “effective broadband infrastructure diffusion across the length and breadth of Nigeria.”
Dr. Maida said that the pursuit of improved quality of service on the networks will be one of his priorities, as well as supporting the vision of the Federal Government and the Ministry of Communications’ Innovations and Digital Economy.

“Considering the fact that many people are going more digital and virtual in everything they do, the telecom infrastructure is now under much stress. “President Tinubu’s vision emphasises the need to build more robust broadband connectivity that will not only facilitate seamless digital transactions but also serve as the bedrock for e-governance and other socio-economic initiatives.
“As such, we would align with this aspiration to increase broadband penetration to 70 per cent and to cover 90 per cent of the population by 2025. Therefore, we need to build a reliable telecom industry with impressive quality of service (QoS) indicators with quality of experience (QoE) as our watchword and ultimate goal.
“This also requires us to address a number of issues such as the Right of Way (RoW) challenge, ensuring security of our telecom infrastructure, among others. Efforts must be made to significantly improve service delivery by ensuring the NCC is performance-driven.
“Mr. President has a very clear agenda from which all of us are going to take our direction. The two major areas are job creation and enabling the digital economy. Where we are going in a nutshell is; everything that we do in this Commission has to align directly with the Strategic Plan of the Hon. Minister of Communications, Innovations and Digital Economy, Dr.vBosun Tijani and ultimately to the Renewed Hope agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We would not deviate from that.
“We would not entertain anything that deviates from this direction because my key performance indicators (KPIs) are fed into the Minister’s KPIs and the President KPIs come from the electorate that put him into power.
“The Hon. Minister has said clearly that he is ready to build a robust digital infrastructure and empower three million Nigerians digitally and we have to do our best to support him in this regard.”
Dr. Maida said that in the Strategic Plan of the Minister, there is a plan to empower three million Nigerians in digital skills and entrepreneurship, adding that this will require the Commission to support Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) as a digital training institution, to be well positioned in driving the government’s agenda on youth empowerment.
The EVC also emphasised the importance of effective spectrum management and utilisation in supporting the envisioned digital connectivity agenda, which is critical to service deployment to the generality of Nigerians and businesses in the country.”
Dr. Maida appreciated his predecessors and the entire staff of the Commission for the laudable role being played in digital transformation of all sectors by stimulating the deployment of baseline telecom infrastructure, even as he called on the staff of the Commission to join his leadership with a sense of purpose as a team towards advancing the actualisation of the President’s Renewed Hope agenda, which, he said, recognises a thriving digital economy in achieving sustainable development and quality of life for all citizens.

Former Permanent Secretary in the State House, the Presidency, Alhaji Jalal Ahmad Arabi has been appointed as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).
Information reaching us at Greenbarge Reporters online newspaper said that his appointment has been approved by President Bola Tinubu.
This is even as the President directed the outgoing Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Alhaji Zikrullah Kunle Hassan, to proceed on 3-month pre-retirement leave as provisioned by Public Service Rule (PSR) 120243 with effect from October 18, 2023, leading to his eventual retirement from service on January 17, 2023.
The new Chairman/CEO of NAHCON will assume office in acting capacity on October 18, 2023, and will continue to serve in substantive capacity for a fresh term of four years, beginning on January 17, 2023.
President Bola Tinubu also approved the dissolution of the Board of NAHCON.

The Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum has ordered the demolition of brothels and other black spots in Maiduguri, the state capital.
Governor Zulum gave the order during a visit to ‘Bayan Quarters’ a settlement around Railway staff quarters believed to be habouring criminals, prostitutes and illicit drug traders.
The governor expressed concern over the rise in criminal activities associated with brothels and directed government agencies to dismantle them within 72 hours.
He said that the activities are posing a threat to the security as hoodlums perpetuate social vices that undermine the well-being of communities and the dignity of the individuals involved.
The Governor said that while the settlement which harbours criminals and minor girls engaged in commercial sex activities would be demolished within 72 hours, the illegal brothels have 12 hours to vacate.
“The government has been duly informed of the activities that are going on here; this settlement is completely illegal. People are killed here, this place serves as a breeding space for insurgents.
“I have directed that everybody should vacate the place.”
Governor Zulum also announced the revocation of the land titles where such criminal activities are perpetuated, pointing out that the titles were initially approved for the Nigerian Railway Corporation.
“I understand that this land was approved by the Borno Government to be used by the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), but it has been rented out illegally with all forms of criminal activities taking place.
“For this reason, the government has revoked the earlier approval; henceforth, the land belongs to the Borno Government.”

Source: NAN.

The Director General of the ECOWAS Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA), Senegal, Edwin W. Harris Jr. is scheduled to deliver the Realnews 11th Anniversary Lecture in Lagos on November 7.
This year’s lecture will be on “Threats of Illict Funds Flow to the African Economy.”
A statement today, October 17 by the management of Realnews Magazine and Publications Limited, publishers of Realnews Magazine Online said that the ECOWAS Director General accepted to deliver the anniversary lecture because of his interest in the theme.
The statement quoted Edwin W. Harris Jr. as saying in the acceptance letter: “With the immense interest I have generated in illicit financial flow from Africa and its negative impact on the governance, economies and other social facets of the African people, I am pleased to confirm my participation and graciously accept your invitation.”
It said that Harris Jr. has over 16 years of progressive experience in the public sector and in non-profit structures with in-depth knowledge and skills in governance, transparency and financial crimes.
“He has relevant skills on issues relating to governance, in the fight against money laundering, in the formulation of policies and the implementation of anti-corruption strategies.
“From November 2019 to July 2022, he was director of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of Liberia. Under his tenure and to his credit, he, among other things, successfully coordinated the validation and publication of Liberia’s National Risk Assessment (NRA) report.
“Until his assumption of duty at GIABA, Harris Jr. was a Lecturer at the University of Liberia.”
The statement said that the lecture will be chaired by Mohammed Bello-Koko, managing director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and that he will also moderate the panel session.

The statement recalled that the 10th Anniversary lecture in 2022 on “Drug Abuse among Youths in Africa: Implication for Nigerian Economy and 2023 Elections” was delivered by Brigadier General Buba Marwa, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) while the 9th Anniversary Lecture was delivered by Engr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board on “Nigeria in the Unfolding Integration of the African Market: The Oil and Gas Perspective.”
It added that the 2020 Eighth Anniversary Lecture was delivered by Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 on Managing COVID-19 Pandemic in Africa: The Nigeria Experience while former President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana gave the 2019 Lecture on Beyond Politics: An Economic Narrative for West Africa even as Professor Mahmood Yakubu spoke on Political Transitions and Africa’s Economic Development: Preparations for Nigeria’s 2019 General Elections at the 2018 Lecture.
“The 2017 Fifth Anniversary Lecture on African Leadership in a Turbulent Era was delivered by Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, former minister of Education and former World Bank Vice President.
“The 2016 Fourth Anniversary Lecture on Security and National Development in Plural Democratic Society was delivered by Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, former United Nations Secretary General’s Special Representative to West Africa and Sahel; the 2015 Realnews Third Anniversary Lecture was delivered by Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on November 19, 2015, under the theme: It’s The Nigerian Economy, Stupid?
“The Second Realnews Anniversary Lecture on Nigerian Democracy: Getting it Right in 2014 was delivered by Professor Maurice Iwu, former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The statement said that Realnews is a general interest magazine and is an online publication that thrives on investigative journalism.

Honourable Eseme Eyiboh, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity and the official Spokesperson to the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has vent his anger on Senator Elisha Abbo for accusing his principal of being responsible for the judgment of the Court of Appeal that sacked him from the Senate.
Eyiboh, in a statement today, October 17, “strongly rejected” the claims of the dethroned Senator, even as he expressed shock at the assertions of the former Adamawa North senator.
The Senate President’s spokesman described the claims by the dethroned Senator as “delinquent, provocative and unbecoming of a Distinguished Senator.
“It is only a diseased and uninformed mind that will not believe that the outcome of any court proceeding is a function of the evaluation of facts and evidence within the province of the rule of law.
“It is uncharitable for Senator Abbo to pour his frustrations on Senator Akpabio or anyone else and his action betrays the bile he has for Senator Akpabio.
“Democracy is founded in the rule of law, so for anybody to accuse one of the strong agents of democracy and governance in the mould of Senator Godswill Akpabio, such an individual must be a monument of self-pity and his swansong a discordant escape from reality.”
Eyiboh stressed that Senator Akpabio has no ill-will towards any of his colleagues and had said in the past that the embers of the leadership election have been buried and replaced by the fraternal bond of nation building he shares with the overwhelming majority of senators.