The Gambian Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Ousman Bah, has said Nigeria’s giant strides in telecom regulation are the reason that the nation’s telecoms development has become a reference point.
He said this when he led a Gambian delegation, including the country’s industry regulators, on a a courtesy visit to the management of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in Abuja, at the weekend.
This was contained in a press release, today by the NCC Director of Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka.
The Gambian Minister of Communications and Digital Economy said the visit was prompted by the success which Nigeria has witnessed in the sector, and the need for The Gambia to follow the same path of success.
The Gambian minister said it is for this reason that the West African nation has completed arrangements to establish an independent regulatory commission for its telecommunications industry in the mould of the NCC in Nigeria.
“The current industry statistics is proof that Nigeria is achieving her goals of digitisation of its economy,” he said.
The Gambian Minister sought the advisory support of the NCC and strategic collaboration to accelerate economic growth and improve efficiency in both countries and strengthen all sectors across the African Continent.
The NCC Director of Legal and Regulatory Services, Josephine Amuwa, who received the Gambian delegation on behalf of the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Professor Umar Danbatta, highlighted the impact of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003.
She told the Gambian minister and other members of the delegation that the NCA 2003 empowers the Commission to effectively carry out its regulatory mandate.
One of the mandate, she said, is to create an enabling environment for competition among operators in the industry, as well as provision of qualitative and efficient telecommunications services throughout the country.
Amuwa spoke about the Commission’s role in ensuring that the mandate of the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), is accomplished, adding that it has led to implementation of various programmes to the benefit of Nigerians.
“The USPF was also established by the NCA 2003 to ensure that services are extended into the rural communities to ensure that telecoms services are available in unserved and underserved areas, even in the urban areas, to meet government objectives,” she said.
Amuwa also cited the consultative and collaborative approach to telecom regulation as one of the factors for Commission’s successes.
“The Commission adopts a participatory rule-making process where key players in the industry are invited to a public hearing for further deliberations to ensure that the stakeholders’ views are considered in establishing these regulatory guidelines,” she said.
Amuwa encouraged the Gambian minister and his delegation to visit the Commission’s website to study published regulatory guidelines on all necessary matters.
She also explained that the guidelines give full effect to the provisions and administration of the NCA 2003.
