Gambia acknowledges Nigeria’s telecoms strides, emulates | The Guardian Nigeria News

Gambian Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Ousman Bah, has said Nigeria’s giant strides in regulation are reason for the nation’s telecommunications development as reference point on the continent.  
 
Bah, who led a delegation, including industry regulators, on a courtesy visit to management of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in Abuja, at the weekend, said the tour was prompted by the success Nigeria has witnessed in the sector for his country to tow.

Consequently, Bah said the West African nation had finalised arrangements to establish an independent regulatory commission like NCC.
 

“The current industry statistics are proof that Nigeria is achieving her goals of digitization,” he said.
 
An NCC statement, yesterday, by the Director of Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka, said the Gambian minister sought the Commission’s advisory support and strategic collaboration to accelerate economic growth and improve efficiency in both countries and strengthen all sectors across the continent.

Director of Legal and Regulatory Services at NCC, Josephine Amuwa, who received the team on behalf of the Executive Vice Chairman, Prof. Umar Danbatta, highlighted impact of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003.
 
She said the legislation empowers the Commission to effectively carry out its regulatory mandate, one of which is to create an enabling environment for competition among operators, as well as provision of qualitative and efficient telecommunications services throughout the country.
 
Amuwa spoke about the Commission’s role in ensuring that mandate of the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) is accomplished to the benefit of Nigerians.
 
Her words: “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.
 
“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.”