NCC Commits to Security and Stability of Telecommunications Infrastructure – Maida Assures Stakeholders

Dr Aminu Maida

The Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Dr. Aminu Maida, has assured industry representatives that the Commission remains committed to an enabling environment that takes into account the security and stability of communications infrastructure in the country.

Dr. Maida, who delivered a keynote address at the recently concluded NCC Telecommunications Industry Risk Management Conference in Lagos, said the NCC is “committed to fostering an environment that encourages innovation while prioritizing the security and stability of our telecommunications infrastructure.”

With the theme “Future Risk Development and Management in the Telecommunications Industry: Leveraging New Technologies and Trends”, the Conference was a multi-participant event including risk experts, academics, financial institutions and telecommunications professionals.

The NCC boss noted that as the country “navigates 5G and the uncharted territory of the next generations of wireless technologies (6G and 7G), collaboration between regulators, industry players and other stakeholders to share best practices will become even more important, threat intelligence, resources and the implementation of robust risk management strategies.”

“That’s why we should move beyond mere compliance and reactive measures and instead harness the power of these new technologies and trends to build a resilient and future-ready industry.”

Dr. Maida disclosed that the NCC will collaborate with relevant authorities and industry stakeholders in discharging its functions.

“Collaboration is a central driver of my leadership. Together we can build a shared understanding of emerging risks and develop comprehensive risk mitigation strategies. It is important to create a culture of risk awareness.

“As an industry, we must equip our employees with the knowledge and skills to proactively identify and report risks and integrate security awareness and risk management practices into all our business processes.”

“New technologies such as AI must be leveraged to generate data. Data-driven insights are required to predict, detect and respond to risks in real-time. We must also continuously monitor evolving threats and vulnerabilities and optimize incident response processes to build a resilient telecommunications industry.”

Dr. Maida, however, urged conference participants to “not only grapple with the challenges of current technologies but also anticipate and prepare for the opportunities and risks associated with the evolution to 6G and beyond.”

“Together we can ensure that the telecommunications industry not only adapts to change but also remains at the forefront of technological innovation,” he said.