Danbatta: NCC to Improve on Digital Inclusion Gains

Oghenevwede Ohwovoriole in Abuja

The Executive Vice-Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, has said the Commission would improve on the gains already recorded with digital inclusion, and other areas such as enhanced security of cyberspace and innovation.

Danbatta, stated this yesterday, at the ongoing Parliamentarian Africa Internet Governance Forum (AfIGF) in Abuja, which is hosted by the NCC.
The theme of the event is, “Transforming Africa’s Digital Landscape: Empowering Inclusion, Security and Innovation.”

According to him, in Nigeria, the financial inclusion strategy of the federal government was telco-driven, adding that that the idea behind leveraging the telecommunications infrastructure strategy was due to the pervasiveness nature of telecommunications infrastructure.
“Before, the mobile money penetration was one per cent, but not anymore after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) gave licences to four of our network operators.

 “As we speak today, the Payment Service Bank (PSB), the digital financial inclusion index has risen to about 70 per cent,” he said.
Danbatta, stressed the that Unsupplementary Structured Service Data (USSD) code which drives transactions in the banking sector presentwas made available by NCC.

“Nowadays, Nigerians do transfer without having to go to the banking halls to fill tellers, which used to be the way we were doing it before.
“This important intervention is provided in all the six geopolitical zones of the country. It is a continuous exercise and intervention,” he noted.
He stated that as a Commission, NCC has a number of initiatives driving the national system of innovation, explaining that NCC empowers the younger ones, the middle age and mature Nigerians outside these bracket to innovate by providing Interventions of computer systems and mifi.

On enhancing the already enhanced security of the cyberspace, he cited the Nigerian Computer Emergency Response Team (NCERT) initiated by the NCC.
In addition, he said this provides advisory on how telecommunication companies could take measures to protect themselves from malicious attack within the cyberspace.

The Secretary General, AfIGF, Hon. Samuel George, a member of the Ghanaian parliament said it was important to have a unified African cybersecurity approach to an African problem.
George explained that the African Union (AU) data and policy framework had the synchronised ability to share information with Nigerians and other African countries.

According to him, the military and security intelligence that just deal with security, intelligence gathering and all of that should be able to share critical information with a Nigerian military sector.

“If there is a risk that covers both Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria and they do not have similar protocols, then it affects this conversation.
“And that’s why as an African continent we need to ratify this convention because the things that were topical eight years ago in 2015 are mundane now, technology has moved on.
“So we will need to catch up with it,” George said.