Prof. Danbatta
Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Ofiicer of the Nigerian Communication Commission, Professor Umar Danbatta has expressed the determination of and resolve by the Commission under his leadership to advance the impact of digital technologies on the Nigeria’s economy, using indigenous products and solutions.
Professor Danbatta spoke today, April 7, at the award of research grants to winners of the 2021 Telecommunications-based research proposals from academia and the professorial Chair endowments at the University of Port Harcourt, Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto and Federal University of Technology, Minna. The award ceremony was held at the Headquarters of NCC in Abuja.
The NCC Executive Vice Chairman said that it was in recognition of the role of the academia in the development of the sector that NCC instituted the Telecommunication-based research innovations from tertiary institutions, known as research grant. He added that under the programme, tertiary institutions submit detailed and well thought-out research proposals on specific thematic areas provided by the Commission.
Sokoto University VC
“These proposals must result in the development of commercially viable prototype as outputs.”
He said that the Commission also endowed Professorial Chairs in tertiary institutions across the country” as a mechanism in entrenching innovations in the institutions and to produce graduates that are “industry ready,” adding that it is one of the Commission’s initiative in supporting the academia in focused research in ICT, towards the advancements in emerging technologies.
According to him, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State; Bayero University Kano (BUK); Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) in Bauchi and University of Ibadan had previously benefitted from the endowment.
FUT Minna VC
For the 2021 for which ceremony was observed today, Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto; Federal University of Technology Minna, Niger State and University of Port Harcourt benefitted.
“The implementation of The endowment is through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed between the Commission and each benefiting institution. We have also included the signing of MoU as part of the implementation of the Telecommunication-based Research Innovations from Nigerian tertiary institution programme.
Professor Danbatta handed a total of N172.5 Million research grants to 13 universities that were selected and N60 Million to the three Universities as endowments.
“With these awards and endowments, the Commission would have provided more than N660 Million to Nigerian tertiary institutions for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) focused research innovations. These are part of the Commission’s efforts at vigorously driving the attainment of the goal of the Federal Government’s agenda on digital economy, as aptly captured in the National Digital Policy and Strategy (2020 – 2030).”
Port Harcourt University VC
The NCC Executive Vice Chairman stressed that the objective of the program is to ensure regulatory and technological solutions, capable of improving the communications industry are developed, adding: “it is therefore our expectations that the institutions would dedicate the required human and material resources to the success of the programmes.”
NCC boss with awardees
