*Nigeria鈥檚 telecoms sector regulator says the Commission has invested modestly in research grants, instituted professorial chairs in universities, supported tech startups, and sponsored national essay competitions, and several other social investments to ensure synergy and linkages among industry, the academia and the youth

Gbenga Kayode | 绿帽献妻

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that the Commission committed over N200 million to promotion of Research and Development (R&D) in order to drive innovations in the country鈥檚 telecommunications sector.

绿帽献妻 reports Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the telecoms sectors regulatory Commission stated this during the prize presentation ceremony of the 2021 NCC National Essay Competition.

Ms. Esther Oluwabukola Gbeja (centre) receives a laptop and a printer from Prof. Danbatta and Dr. Adinde

The prize-giving ceremony held in the Conference Room of the Commission鈥檚 Head Office Tuesday, November 23, 2021, at Maitama, in Abuja, FCT.

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This publication had reported the NCC noted the 2021 edition focusing on the Fifth Generation (5G) technology with the topic, 鈥�5G Technology: Opportunities and Challenges鈥�, was organised to enhance research initiatives, encourage academic competition, excellence, and build capacity of undergraduates in tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Director of Public Affairs at NCC, in a statement issued Wednesday, November 24, 2021, said the event marked the 3rd Edition of the annual competition organised by the Commission.

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Adinde stated Prof. Danbatta, at the ceremony, disclosed that the Commission had invested modestly in research grants, instituted professorial chairs in universities across the country, supported tech startups, and sponsored national essay competitions and many more social investments in order to ensure synergy and linkages among industry, the academia and the youth.

Announcing the winners and their prizes

The NCC said 鈥渙ver 2,000 entries were received from 97 public and private tertiary institutions for the competition in which Esther Oluwabukola Gbeja, a 600-Level student of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), was declared overall winner.鈥�

A group photograph with all the winners in the 2021 NCC National Essay Competition

The Commission announced that 鈥淕beja received a cash prize of N500,000.00, a laptop, and a printer; while the first runner-up, Moses Nosa Edosa, a final year student of Accounting at the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), received a cash prize of N300,000.00 only.鈥�

Incidentally, the telecoms sector regulator also said that two second runners-up emerged from this year鈥檚 national essay competition to pick the third prize.

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According to the NCC Director of Public Affairs, MarcPatrick Efevuriri Efeni, a 200-Level student of Cybersecurity at the Airforce Institute of Technology, Kaduna; and Nasiru Abdul Karim, a 400-Level student of Computer Engineering at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, both came third, having scored the same number of points. They both received cash prizes of N200,000 each.

The EVC/CEO, however, declared that the NCC 鈥済ladly accommodated the additional prize due to the tie in the third place鈥�, as a mark of encouragement to the Nigerian youths.

Why 鈥�5G Technology: Opportunities and Challenges鈥� as topic of essay competition

Prof. Danbatta in his address on the occasion also stated that the topic for the 2021 national essay competition, 鈥�5G Technology: Opportunities and Challenges鈥�, was carefully chosen to ensure that the Nigerian youths have a good understanding of the new technology.

Nigeria鈥檚 vibrant youth populace stands to benefit massively from the deployment of 5G technology, which the Commission is set to launch in 2022, said he.

According to the NCC Chief Executive, the Commission initiated and has maintained the annual essay competition to stimulate the interest of Nigerians especially the young people, to contribute to efforts in driving innovation in the technological ecosystem of Nigeria.

He stated: 鈥淚t is on this premise that NCC took the step to encourage Nigerian students to remain pro-active and partake in (of) the national competition that challenges students to be competitive and engage their best efforts.鈥�

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While emphasising the critical importance of communications as the foundation for the technological聽 development of society and its role in the provision of vital infrastructure for national security, the EVC/CEO highlighted the need to invest in research programmes as observed in advanced nations, where a lot of resources are channelled into R&D.

Danbatta reiterated the assurances of the Commission to Nigerians, that 5G technology would expand the mobile ecosystem into a new realm, and the impact would be felt in various sectors of the country鈥檚 economy.

Edoyemi Ogoh, Chairman of the 3rd NCC National Essay Competition Committee and Deputy Director, Technical Standards and Network Integrity Department of NCC, commended Danbatta鈥檚 effort at recognising the academia as a key stakeholder in the development of the communications sector, and at encouraging that the critical sector has a natural connection with the industry.

Ogoh further said that the NCC 鈥渒nows the importance of innovative thinking in the growing ICT industry in Nigeria, and as such, this has made the Commission to engage youths in various tertiary institutions across the nation to compete in essay writing on 5G technology.鈥�

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Speaking at the event, Dr. Adinde, who stated that the essay competition is one of the most important initiatives the Commission, expressed delight at the ability of the winners who have demonstrated vast knowledge on the subject matter in their presentations.

On imminent launch of 5G Networks in Nigeria

The NCC Director of Public Affairs further emphasised the influence of the competition in the stimulation of the minds of the target audience and the creation of positive awareness to debunk misconceptions about the 5G technologies.

The outcome of the competition, he noted, is an encouragement to the NCC Management to continue to support the national essay competition while ensuring that the Commission sustains such programme.

He said the results were evident Tuesday, in Abuja, as the NCC through the essay contest, has produced four ambassadors of 5G.

Adinde said: 鈥淭hese youths can go out and engage their peers about 5G, its benefits, opportunities and address the negative preconceptions about the 5G network.鈥�

According to NCC, the national essay competition was initiated by the NCC to deepen awareness and knowledge of telecommunications stakeholders in the country, especially the young people.

鈥淚nterestingly, every successive year, the competition is marked by massive responses in the number of essays submitted by students.

鈥淭hough the Commission has been able to organise three of such national essay competitions, the resultant social and emotional equity has had impressive and quantifiable values on the Commission as a leading Nigerian public sector brand,鈥� the statement noted.

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