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The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta and Ambassador of the Republic of Senegal to Nigeria have hinged the development of West Africa nations on the growth of Information Communications Technology.
Speaking at event to mark the hoisting of Senegalese flag at the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA), Danbatta, noted that ICT remains an enabler for bridging the gaps in the pathway to development.
According to him, increasing demonstration of cooperation and cohesion by WATRA member states signifies unflinching commitment to harnessing ICT resources to improve the quality of life of the people of the sub-region.
Danbatta, who is also the Chairman of the Executive Council of WATRA, stated that the event was of such profound significance that it transcends the physical hosting of the flag, noting that “it symbolises the cohesion taking place in WATRA” and giving concrete and louder expression to collaboration and cooperation among members states of the regional telecom regulatory body.
On his part, Ndiaye, said Senegal has never relented in making remarkable contributions to ECOWAS and other regional bodies and indicated his country’s readiness to work within the political and economic framework of ECOWAS to streamline challenges facing regulators like WATRA.
He further stated that among the key challenges regulators face are the emergent Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, the convergence of networks and applications, the imperative of infrastructure sharing and the increasing needs of telecom consumers, dynamics of financial services, and electronic commerce in general.
Ndiaye stated that the telecom regulator is central to the acceleration of growth in other sectors of the economy and therefore occupies a significant place in the socioeconomic space.
He looked forward to continued collaboration to address the myriads of challenges in the telecom sector, and noted that the outbreak of COVID-19 and the envisioned post-COVID-19 relations have compounded the challenges of telecom regulation.
The Senegalese envoy seized the opportunity of the occasion to convey the gratitude of the Government and people of Senegal to the Federal Government of Nigeria for hosting WATRA, and thanked the NCC for the support it has continued to offer WATRA and for promoting greater cooperation among member states towards harnessing the benefits of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Ndiaye, who is also Senegal’s Permanent Representative to ECOWAS, described the ceremony as a happy occasion, noting that it was gratifying to gather at WATRA Secretariat to hoist the flag of Senegal alongside those of other member states.
Executive Secretary of WATRA, Mr. Aliyu Aboki in his welcome address, expressed extreme delight at having the ambassador and the chairman of WATRA at the flag presentation and hosting ceremony.
Aboki noted that the presence of the duo underscored the importance that “policymakers and political authorities in Africa attach to the digital economy as a means of promoting investment, jobs and growth”, even as the meeting also signifies the sub-regional determination to work together in order to improve telecommunications regulations in a manner that enables “operators and investors to deliver more affordable, higher quality and more innovative services” to the people of West Africa.
He added that the rare strides made by the Government of Senegal in promoting digital economy amplified the voice of Ndiaye by expressing the gratitude of the 16 member countries of WATRA to the Nigerian Government, which, through the NCC, has continued to support “the Assembly and for hosting WATRA.”
