The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Professor Umar Danbatta, has said that the existence of robust telecommunications infrastructure in Nigeria has helped the country’s entertainment industry.
According to him, the Nigerian entertainment industry has gone global due to heavy leverage on digital platforms.
Danbatta, who stated this at the 10th Annual Brands and Marketing Conference in Lagos, noted that content creation and consumption have grown around the telecommunications infrastructure.
Social media factor: The NCC boss claimed that Nollywood is one of the biggest movie industries in the world thanks to the internet and digital platforms which enable Nollywood content to be seen all over the world.
- “Nigerian music stars are in hot demand worldwide because of their popularity and brand recognition on social media. We should add that many of these global superstars emerging from Nigeria launched into stardom by leveraging Caller Tunes and other mobile content platforms to grow their brands and huge followers online.”
- “Let me assure you that the NCC will continue to aggressively drive the rollout and seamless operation of infrastructure to drive new digital technologies for the benefit of all sectors of our economy. It is our hope that Nigerian brands will continue to leverage on robust infrastructure to grow their value and ensure that our country derives maximum benefit from unfolding digital transformation efforts,” he told the conference.
Digital economy: Danbatta emphasised that the NCC, in pursuit of its mandate, has been relentless in creating a conducive atmosphere for the rollout and adoption of new technologies, and the government has taken the firm position that the country must leverage digital technologies to grow the economy.
- As such, he said the development of policies such as the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020-2030 and the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP) 2020-2025, which the NCC and other agencies and partners are assiduously implementing, will further boost the country’s digital economy.
- Danbatta disclosed that the Commission is currently reviewing the licences and frameworks for fixed broadband to update them in line with current challenges and make them more effective as part of the pivotal initiatives deployed by NCC that are already bearing fruits.