By Prince Osuagwu

Within just two weeks, the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC has scooped two top awards in two separate regions, for flawless regulatory practices. The first was at the Africa Information Technology and Telecom Awards in Ghana when the Regulator clinched the 2016 “Africa Telecom Regulator of the Year Award”

•From left: Mr Tony Ojobo, Director Public Affairs NCC, receiving the award from the organizers.

Yet in less than a week after this honour, the Commission was also invited to far away Brussels, Belgium to receive the 2016 European Society for Quality Research Award for Best Practices in regulation. Both awards were handed out in an event with capacity attendance by almost all the countries of the world. For instance, the Belgium event had up to sixty-three countries in attendance.

Receiving the award on behalf of the executive vice-chairman of the commission, Mr. Tony Ojobo, director of Public Affairs, said the recognitions bestowed on NCC speak volumes, in spite of all the regulatory challenges. He congratulated the EVC, Prof. Umar Danbatta and all the hard working professionals at NCC.

Ojobo said that the NCC’s management style, impact on the community that it serves and the professional way it carries out its regulatory activities in supervising a sector that contributes immensely to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Nigeria could apparently be part of the considerations for the award.

Only recently, the telecom-munication sector contributed 0.5 percent to the GDP despite the negative growth rate recorded by the economy in the first quarter of 2016. Indeed the sector’s contribution stood at 5.00 percent up from the 3.49 percent it recorded first quarter 2015.

Organizers of the   award, said the   European Awards for Best Practices programmes takes a comprehensive look at the initiatives and strategies that business leaders implement in their companies and organisations. It recognizes the efforts of exceptional and talented employers and employees and provide, motivation for continuous progress.