Ndukwe bags telecom Icon award

Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, has bagged the Icon award of the Nigerian Telecom Revolution at the Nigerian Telecoms Awards 2008.

Organizers of the award which held in Lagos, last weekend, said it is a recognition which encapsulates the contributions of Dr. Ndukwe, in putting Nigeria in the world map of telecom delivery through his outstanding management of the telecom regulations in the country that brought about the revolution that Nigeria has enjoyed in the area of telecom services.

Dr. Ndukwe was also noted to have contributed to the growth of the Nigerian economy through a very transparent regulatory process that brought huge investments to the country and created direct and indirect jobs and businesses in a manner that has never been witnessed in any sector in Nigeria’s history.

ITRealms Online recalled that Dr. Ndukwe was earlier in the year in South Africa, voted the Best Regulatory Personality of the year in Africa, a testimony of how his efforts in Nigeria has been recognized abroad, with some African countries visiting Nigeria on study tours about the best regulatory practices and processes.

The presentation of Icon of the Nigerian Telecom Award to the NCC boss, coincided with the commemoration of the 7th year anniversary of the launch of Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) services in the country since August 2001, with Nigeria topping the African continent with the highest number of active lines at about 54 million connected lines by end of June, 2008.

The organizers noted also that Nigeria is now occupying a place among the top 10 countries in the world in telecommunications growth, which has been breathtaking development achieved within seven years.

Nigeria had about 400,000 fixed lines and 20,000 mobile lines as at year 2000 when the telecom and electronic engineer was appointed for the first time in office.

Dr. Ndukwe’s second tenure at the NCC is expected to end in 2010, and he was quoted recently as saying that in the remaining months of his tenure he tends to strengthen the regulatory body and ensure robust coverage of the country with telecom infrastructure and services.


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