The Senate has screened and cleared Dr. Aminu Maida as the substantive Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC ), Dr Aminu Maida shortly after he presented his agenda for the NCC before the Senate Committee on Communications on Wednesday.
He told the Committee chaired by Senator Ikra Aliyu Bilbis (PDP Zamfara Central), that if confirmed, he would ensure that network subscribers would get adequate value for their hard-earned money and that business would no longer be as usual in the nation’s telecom sector.
“The NCC under my leadership, distinguished Chairman and members of this Committee, if I am finally confirmed as Executive Vice Chairman by the Senate, I will ensure that network subscribers get adequate value for their money. Also, there will be drastic reduction in drop calls, improved network coverage and rural connectivity. These are my articles of faith.
Taking turns to speak after one another, members of the committee such as Senators Jimoh Ibrahim, Abdulazeez Yar’Adua, Abdul Ningi and Adamu Aliero expressed confidence in his ability, pedigree and competence to deliver on the job while commending President Tinubu for making a right choice.
According to them, the appointee is as a round peg in a round hole of the Nigerian Communications Commission going by his pedigree and track records in the Telecommunication cum Technological sector.
Dr. Maida was then confirmed by the Senate during its plenary session where it adopted a report of the Senate Committee on Communications which screened Maida on Wednesday, November 15, 2023.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Communications, and former Minister of Communications, Senator Ikra Aliyu Bilbis, who submitted the report urged the Senate to consider the request of President Bola Tinubu for the confirmation of Maida for appointment as the country’s Chief Telecom Regulator.
He said the Committee had screened Maida who he said had earlier passed all scrutiny by the relevant security agencies in the security governance sector.
Senator Bilbis further informed the Senate that Maida possessed the requisite qualifications, professional experience, competence, and regulatory capacity to ensure accelerated development of the nation’s telecommunications sector. He urged the Senate to approve the nomination of Maida by Mr. President.
Consequently, the Senate proceeded to confirm the appointment of Dr. Aminu Maida by a voice vote. He will serve a five-year term in office in the first instance, subject to renewal by the President.
At his screening by the Senate Committee, Maida responded to questions related to his varied insight into the industry, qualifications, experience, suitability, and competence to manage the nation’s telecom regulatory sector.
Maida emphasized to the committee that his top priorities were to improve coverage and connectivity by bridging access gaps between rural and urban communities through increased broadband infrastructure as well as increasing the quality service (QoS) and quality of experience (QoE) for the consumers to enable them to get value for money.
He stated that, under his stewardship, he would ensure that the Commission’s licensees numbering over 8,000 across different segments of the sector, are made to adhere strictly to their Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with their consumers in terms of service delivery.
Maida also said that he would create a more conducive environment for investment in the sector, promising to work with the dynamic team at the NCC to “re-think” how the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) would be better leveraged to bridge the extant digital divide in the country.
The new Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria’s telecom regulatory authority also promised to prioritise inter-agency collaboration towards achieving the current blueprint for the digital economy sector, just as he said that the ongoing review of the NCA 2003 would lead to greater innovation for improving the performance of the sector and solicited the support of the National Assembly to succeed.
Maida further emphasised his commitment towards aligning regulatory activities with the Strategic Plan of the Ministry of Communications, Innovations and Digital Economy, developed to accelerate the actualisation of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government.
Aminu Maina had prior to his appointment by President Bola Tinubu as the new Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, served as the Executive Director, Technology & Operations at Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS).
He is a seasoned-technical professional with over 15 years multi-functional and international experience in FinTech & Telecoms & Enterprise Technology.
He holds an MEng in Information Systems Engineering from Imperial College London and a PhD in Electrical & Electronic Engineering from the University of Bath UK.
Specifically Senator Jimoh Ibrahim (APC Ondo South) said: “Going by very impressive Curriculum Vitae of the appointee submitted to us, his pedigree, expertise and functional knowledge acquired up to the Cambridge University in London, there can be no any other better choice for NCC job than him.
“He has the knowledge and capacity to bring out the best for the country from the commission in terms of better Telecom services and would surely deliver”.
Dr Maida maintained that the two key areas he would be tackle were are improved coverage and connectivity of telecom services to the remotest parts of the country.
“NCC under my leadership if confirmed as Executive Vice Chairman by the Senate, would ensure that network subscribers get value for their money, drastic reduction in drop calls, improved network coverage and rural connectivity.
“Technological innovation for stoppage of hacking into subscribers’ accounts would also be at the front burner of actions to be taken in no distant time”, he said.
