IT NEWS NIGERIA:
Executive Vice Chairman of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta said there is need for Nigeria to play key roles in global internet governance and that time is now to forge unified front towards sustainable Internet in the country..
He stated this, while giving his special remarks, at the Nigerian Internet Governance Forum, NIGF 2019, Thursday in Lagos .
Danbatta was represented by Engr. (Dr) Chidi Diugwu, Head, New Tecnology and Assessnent at NCC said “The commonwealth agenda, is aptly reflected in the uniqueness of this year’s forum, which creates, both Internet Governance Fellow and youths for Internet Governance forum”.
The theme of NIGF 2019, is, “Enabling Digital Commonwealth For Development.”
The event was attended by various stakeholders, in the ecosystem, with special remarks and goodwill messages from the National Infornation Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Nigerian Internet Registration Agency, NiRA, Ministry of Communications, etc.
Reading his Chairman’s theme paper, Akinwale Akingbade, Chairman, ICT LOCA, stated that, there is the need, for the executive arm of government, to issue Executive Orders, on certain laws to have an effective governance of our Internet space.
The forum went into 6 workshop sessions and came out with a number of recommendations.
One of the is the fact that, there is the need to create more awareness and encouragement, to, as many stakeholders as possible. This is, so, they should be interested and be involved in what goes on, in the ecosystem, to enable them, to have their voices be heard and to influence policies that will, eventually, affect them.
It was, also, recommended that, there should, be the centralisation of approvals, in a sort of, one-stop-shop, to stakeholders, like Telcos, etc., by the government. A case in point, is the overlap on some issues, in the NCC Act 2003 and the NITDA Act of 2007, that needs to be unified and synergised.
The two moves above, if implemented, it is believed, will encourage stakeholders participationvand remove the issues of overlapping in regulations and approvals.
Communiques were then, drawn, with the appeal for the implementation of the recommendations. This is, so, the event will not just be an annual ritual, without implementing any of the recommendations.
