From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
In order to foster strategic partnership that would enhance the application of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) toward improving national security, the National Institute of Security Studies (NISS) has enlisted the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
According to a statement the NCC, NISS Director of Research Estimates and Library Services, Dr. Adegboyega Karim during a recent visit to the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta , said the the call was part of a fact-finding mission to advance ongoing research that focuses on globalization and regional integration for sustainable development in Africa.
He pointed out that the Commission has made significant strides toward the development of Nigeria’s digital economy, and that its regulatory processes present a good opportunity for collaboration to allow the group to conduct additional research on issues relating to telecommunications and national security.
Karim led to the Commission a team delegation of Executive Intelligence Management Course Sixteen Participants (EIM16), a study group with representations from various security agencies under the auspices of NISS, typically senior officers in security agencies, including the military, police, intelligence services, and other relevant agencies.
Director, Special Duties of the Commission, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, who received the team on behalf of Danbatta, affirmed the readiness of the Commission to collaborate with the Institute, and, indeed, any private and public institution that is focused on national development.
Reiterating on the advancements made in ICTs, Adinde said it is within this context that the Commission continued to promote the deployment of robust digital infrastructure capable of supporting and improving the security of lives and property.
“As a way of consolidating on the tremendous successes that had been recorded in the telecoms industry through effective regulatory regime emplaced by the Commission, the Federal Government has formulated a number of policies such as the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) and the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), among others, which serve as a compass for our efforts at building a resilient digital economy that supports security,” he said.
Adinde enlightened the visiting delegation on NCC’s efforts towards ensuring adequate protection for telecoms facilities, across the nooks and crannies of the country where it is treated as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), the building of Emergency Communications Centres (ECCs) across states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as well as series of collaborations with relevant agencies to ensure effective connectivity to individuals and institutions.