NCC Targets 22% Telecom Contribution To GDP By 2027

The Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) is set to increase the contribution of the telecommunication sector to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contribution to 22 per cent by the year 2027. The telecommunications sector contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased significantly to 16 per cent in the second quarter of 2023 from a 14.13 per cent contributed in the first quarter of 2023, and up from the 15 per cent recorded in the second quarter of 2022, Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NCC, Mr Aminu Maida who disclosed this in Lagos at a conference on how to reposition the nation’s economy said the Commission planned to increase the annual net revenue of the telecommunications sector to the Federal Government by 100 per cent over the next four years, achieve at least 15 per cent year-on-year increase in investments into the telecommunications sector. Another target set by the Commission according to him is to have a 50 per cent  improvement in Quality of Service (QoS) by the end of next year, and reduce the access gap in rural areas to less than 20 per cent by 2027. He said that the reimagining of the communication sector is driven by five pillarswhich are interwoven with each other to deliver on the goal of fostering economic growth and development. He said that these pillars which include policy, infrastructure, innovation, entrepreneurship and capital, trade, and knowledge, are the bedrock of the Strategic Vision Plan (2023 – 2025) and form the guide to channel our efforts to harness the potential of the telecommunications sector and drive positive change in Nigeria. He said the vision aimed” to accelerate the growth of Nigeria as a global technical talent hub and a net exporter of talent, to deepen and accelerate our position in global research in key technology areas and raise the complexity and dynamics of our economy by significantly increasing the level of digital literacy across Nigeria.” He said the programme which has already commenced  with over one million applications by potential trainees is expected to increase the level of digital and technical skills among Nigerians, especially young and middle-level talents, to 70 per cent by the end of 2027.  This he said will position Nigerians to productively contribute to the economy and place the country in the top 25 percentile of research globally in the key areas of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), IoT, Robotics, Blockchain, and Additive Manufacturing in keeping with the strategic plan unveiled by the Honourable Minister. Speaking further he said “We believe that attaining these targets will increase our pool of technically skilled persons to the global market. With more talents in these areas, we expect that potential employers of digital and technical skills in the international scene will begin to engage more Nigerians.”

Defence Ministry Develops Strategic Plan, Inaugurates Team To Drive FCSSIP 25

The Ministry of Defence has inaugurated Strategic Planning Team to drive the full realization of the digitalization of the Service and institutionalization of the Federal Civil Service Strategic Implementation Plan 2021-2025 (FCSSIP 25). Inaugurating the nine members committee drawn from the core departments of the Ministry on Thursday, at a retreat organized by the Ministry on the development of the Ministry of Defence Strategic Plan in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar Kana mni, said that the Head of Service (HoS) Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, has directed the Ministry to develop its Strategic Plan that will help in achieving the Ministry’s peculiar mandate. Accordingly, the Strategic Plan, the Ministerial objective would further be cascaded from departments to individual staff members to draw job description, strategic objectives, key performance indicators, key result areas as well as performances contract and appraisal and review for optimal performance. Dr. Kana who was represented by the Director Overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ms. Suzan Ochida, urged participants to contribute their best in developing the Strategic Plan for the Ministry. According to a statement issued by the Director of Press and Public Relations of the Ministry Mr Henshaw Ogubike mnipr, she said: “This retreat is therefore intended as a variable platform to harness contributions, trends, experiences, development that will culminate in the production of a policy document in line with world best practices that will stand the best of time in alliance with the vision, mission and mandate of Ministry of Defence. In his opening remarks, the Director of Planning Research and Statistics, Olusa Dada, called on the participants to come out with sound discussions, contributions, innovative ideas that would galvanize the actualization of the Ministry Mandate in line with FCSSIP 25. According to the Director, the Strategic Plan is a strategic innovation of the OHCSF aimed at breaking away from the old practices to a new paradigm of productive world- class Civil Service for accelerated national development. The highlight of the retreat was goodwill messages given by various stakeholders and paper presentations geared towards a robust Strategic Plan for the Ministry. In his goodwill message, the Chief of Defence Intelligence Agency called on holistic appraisal of the entire system pointing out that a sound strategic plan would be a good driver in achieving the mandate of the Ministry of Defence in the provision of security. Represented by Real Admiral Julius Nwagu, he commended the Ministry saying that the retreat was timely as planning is germane to national development. Also, the representative of OHCSF, Professor Ajayi Adeyemi, commended the Ministry for the inauguration and retreat. The retreat, he said was timely as there is a paradigm shift to doing government business by productive world-class Civil Service. He said: “The Defence sector strategic plan will effectively drive all the six Pillars of FCSSIP 25. The retreat was well attended by Management and other Staff of the Ministry.