NCC, Nile Varsity to Collaborate in Software Engineering, AI

By Oghenevwede Ohwovoriole

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has welcomed the proposal by Nile University of Nigeria seeking its collaboration in the areas of software engineering, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and programming.

The NCC Executive Vice-Chairman (EVC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, said the proposal for collaboration between the two institutions is one the commission welcomes.

Speaking through NCC’s Director, Human Capital and Administration, Usman Malah, the EVC said: “One of the cardinal pillars underpinning the commission’s strategic management plan is strategic partnership with relevant stakeholders, through mutually sustainable collaborations.

“At the commission, we are always open to ideas and innovations, which is the hallmark of the academic community which the university represents.”

As a man coming from the academia, Danbatta said he is ever happy to bridge the knowledge gap between theories and practice, adding that: “As a life-long diligent member of the academic community, I look forward to every opportunity for bridging the knowledge gap between the academia and the practice community.”

He noted that as different sectors of the nation’s economy struggle to overcome the temporary challenges occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCC shall continue to build the necessary relationships and establish measures that will enhance the performance of critical stakeholders within different sectors of the Nigerian economy.

According to Danbatta, in the wake of the lockdown and other restrictions occasioned by COVID-19, everyone witnessed, first hand, the potential positive impact of telecommunications and information communication technology (ICT) across all the key sectors of the Nigerian economy, with the education sector becoming a major participant in the phenomenal use of ICTs to drive performance.

Danbatta also stated that everyone is witnessing how the need for further self-development in a COVID-19 era has prompted the NCC staff to seek further capacity enhancement programmes with educational institutions, such as the Nile University.

He assured the vice-chancellor of the university, Prof. Osman Nuri Aras, of NCC’s determination to partner with all stakeholders for the good of the country.

“The commission, will therefore, continue to remain fully committed to ensuring synergy, through its strategic collaboration with relevant stakeholders, such as the Nile University of Nigeria, in order to ensure that the overall socio-economic development objectives of the Federal Government of Nigeria are met,” he said.

The Head, Academia Research Support, Research and Development Department, NCC, Kelecchi Nwankwo, disclosed that the commission will next next week announce the winner of the university lecturer that will spend one year in the NCC’s research and development department as a research fellow.

He said: “We invite university lecturers to come and spend one year as research fellows in the Research and Development department of the commission. This has been approved by management and request was sent to all universities in Nigeria and a winner has emerged and will be announced next week.”