By Emmanuel Elebeke
ABUJA — THE Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC says it has assisted in building human capital in the media industry because a lot of journalists who did not have some basics in ICT are today speaking ICT on radio, television and even in the print media.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta disclosed this at the weekend during the Nigerian Union of Journalists Press Freedom awards, held in Abuja, where he was honoured with the distinguished Friend of the Media award.

Prof. Danbatta, who was represented at the event by the Director of Public Relations in the Commission, Mr. Reuben Muoka, where the Commission was also honoured with the Corporate Friend of the Media award, said he believed that it is the media that projects the achievements of the NCC in the telcom sector by making the public understand the importance of telecom industry.

The EVC, who attributed the awards to the openness of the Commission in all its dealings and the sustenance of mutual relationship with the media said: ‘‘The media remains our partner in all we are doing, even as we are trying to project the 8-Point agenda, which talks much about broadband penetration, consumer protection and encouraging investments in the country.

‘‘We have trained a lot of journalists who do not have some basics in ICT who are today speaking ICT on radio and television and even in the print. That is what our promise is, to continue to interact and educate, to collaborate with the media.

‘‘I am glad about these awards because we know what the NUJ represents in the country. It is a very credible organization, to which all journalists in this country belong. Coming into this award encourages NCC to note that NUJ recognises the Commission’s effort through the leadership of Prof. Umar Danbatta who has made friendship of the media.

‘‘Sometimes we assist in building human capital in the media industry. We are happy because Prof. Danbatta believes that all the things we are doing wouldn’t have been recognised by the public without the media.

‘‘The Media remains our partner in all we are doing, even as he is trying to project the 8 Point agenda, which talks much about broadband penetration, consumer protection, encouraging inventment in the country.

‘‘The reason is that we are very open. NCC is about transparency, our transparency rings a bell, our way of collaboration and dialoguing with various segments of the industry is open as anybody can get information as possible.

‘‘Our website has been recognised as one that is very rich in information, very educative and always being updated. Those are some of the essential ingredients that translates to award of this nature. It means we are very open to the public, also means we are open to the press.’’

‘‘Imagine any public organization at our level calling for consumer outreach and consumer parliaments, where we are open to criticism, people can voice out their opinions on what we are doing. Those are the measures the NCC has taken to deserve these awards.

‘‘We are not surprised that these kind of awards can come from NUJ because they value transparency, accountability, and value people that educate the media and the public that they are working with,’’ he added.

Going forward, he said the Commission would maintain what it has been doing and being very open, even when the media do not come to demand for information.