Don't Miss


Home   >   Tech & Telecoms   >   Telecoms   >   NCC, NBC to cooperate towards industry transformation

NCC, NBC to cooperate towards industry transformation

By on August 11, 2013

The Nigerian Communications Commission and the National Broadcasting Commission, which are government parastatals, have pledged to work more closely together in order to deliver the dividends of modern technology to the Nigerian people.

This stand was indicated in a statement by the NCC on Friday. The NCC regulates the communications industry while the NBC superintends the broadcast sector of the country.

The Chief Executive Officer, NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah, while congratulating the new Director General of the NBC, Mr. Emeka Mba, who paid him a visit, said that, “We – NCC and NBC – have always been sister regulators and our roles will become more intertwined because of development in technology. These days it’s either you broadcast through the internet or through the other traditional channels that we were used to.’’

He noted that the importance of the regulatory responsibilities of the two agencies made it overriding for them to always look for avenues of cooperation so that important issues can be resolved before being escalated to platforms like the Frequency Management Council, which they both belong to.

“It is not a question of fighting for turf but to do things properly so that people can know that we are working well in Nigeria for the good of those who need our services,” Juwah said.

The NCC boss also stressed the importance of the transition from analogue to digital transmission; a process that should terminate in 2015, according to the International Telecommunication Union timeline, but which he observed is running very late in Nigeria. He pledged the NCC’s commitment to the process while declaring to render any assistance that may be required.

While embracing Juwah’s optimism of a brighter future for the two industries that technology is blurring into one, Mba admitted that the, “Two agencies share very unique responsibilities together. While we deal with content, programming in the broadcast sector, you will agree that technology is muddling the differences, bringing industries together.”

Mba also noted that as the country pursues the digitisation process, it had become more expedient for the two agencies to create stronger bonds so as to overcome every hurdle on the way.

He said, “There is the need to work together, not just work together but to build more respect for one another, and develop stronger relationship. Because more and more, as we go forward with digitisation and what this new ecosystem will bring for the sector, you will find telcos who want to be broadcasters and broadcasters who want to be telcos.

“We have to find ways to work together for the benefits of Nigerian consumers,’’ Mba added, thus re-echoing Juwah’s position that the future of the two industries will not be about frequency but about quality service to the consumers.”

 
[Punch]