Just two months ago, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made several appointments under the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy. One of such appointments is that of Dr. Aminu Maida, as the new Executive Vice-Chairman/CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which has continued to excite stakeholders in the nations telecoms space since its announcement.

For industry watchers, the challenges before this Commission, saddled with the task of regulating the supply of telecommunication services and facilities, promoting competition, and setting performance standards for telephone services in Nigeria, are huge. And not a few believe it will require a steel-hearted leader to effectively put an end to those hindrances to the growth of the sector and drive the affairs of this Commission for much-needed growth.

Poor network connectivity, especially in the nations rural areas; poor internet penetration, or even insufficient service to make good calls in some parts of the country, have been identified as some of the challenges that have continued to inhibit the growth of the industry and the nations economy. These and many others are factors militating against the industry, and they must be handled swiftly, argue these industry watchers and subscribers.

For instance, Emmanuel Ezinma, a Lagos-based telephone subscriber, would have relocated from Lagos to his hometown in Imo State, especially after securing his first foreign job as a front-end developer. But when he remembers the poor internet service he deals with anytime he travels home, hed rather stay back.

While Ezinma believes the government does not have to provide him with a job since he already has one, and he is not looking for any empowerment, in whatever guise, he, however, believes a working government should be able to make available an unwavering internet penetration, preferably with multiple provider options, in his village.

Interestingly, he is not alone in this need. In a matter of days, many Nigerians will be going home for the Yuletide, but a key concern is how the internet in those areas will serve their interests; since it is common to stay out of touch with friends and family for days due to poor network connectivity in those areas. Some will even have to travel as far as the next village in search of a network to do a little WhatsApp chat or view some reels on IG.

Another subscriber, Lekan Armstrong, believes whoever becomes the helmsman of the Commission remains key to the nations economic growth. The present governments hope of achieving rapid development in rural areas, creating jobs, and enabling the digital economy will remain an illusion without first developing rural areas by enhancing internet penetration and ensuring sufficient service to make good calls.

Dr. Bosun Tijjani, the Minister of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, had stated clearly in an interview on a national television station that the NCC is shifting focus from Quality of Service to wholesale Quality of Experience, with a focus on consumer experience with the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), not just the service rendered.

According to Tijjani, the goal is to at least double the number of kilometers of fiber optic cables in Nigeria within the next 3 years, which he believes will help deliver the targeted data download speed of 25Mbps in urban areas and 10Mbps in rural areas by the end of 2025, and deepen broadband penetration to 70% and reach the underserved areas.

In simple terms, the NCC will focus on ensuring effective broadband infrastructure diffusion across the length and breadth of Nigeria, translating into affordable and reliable broadband services.

Interestingly, Dr. Maida has shown that he has a clear understanding of the task before him. Considering the fact that many people are going more digital and virtual in everything they do, the telecom infrastructure is now under much stress. President Tinubus vision emphasizes the need to build more robust broadband connectivity that will not only facilitate seamless digital transactions but also serve as the bedrock for e-governance and other socio-economic initiatives. As such, we would align with this aspiration to increase broadband penetration to 70 per cent and to cover 90 per cent of the population by 2025. Therefore, we need to build a reliable telecom industry, he said.

But do his credentials suggest someone well-equipped to deliver on this promise? Or is it another issue of much talk, less work? Many believe Maida has what it takes to build on the achievements of his predecessors and turn the nations telecoms space around. In his most recent role as Executive Director, Tech & Ops, Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement Systems (NIBSS), he oversaw a $30m+ digital transformation at NIBSS to modernize the platforms by taking advantage of Cloud technologies, APIs 1st approach, and adopting an Agile/DevOps culture. Since 2019, he joined the NIBSS; he also developed strategies that stabilized the space and built confidence while maximizing yields for shareholders.

He also worked as Chief Technology Officer, ARCA Payments prior to that, and in addition to managing people and resources, was part of the team that successfully fundraised $7m. Maida also worked for foreign companies like Cisco Systems UK and British Telecoms UK, UbiquiSys Ltd UK, EE Ltd UK.

The new NCCs helmsman has, as a highly accomplished technology executive, consistently demonstrated his expertise in leading cutting-edge innovations, managing cross-functional teams, and driving growth for businesses in competitive markets.

As a result, he has earned a reputation for being a forward-thinking leader with a keen eye for spotting industry trends and implementing groundbreaking solutions. All of these point to the fact that if there will be any obstacle to achieving these goals; it will never be one of competence. There is hardly any task before Maida now that he has not already achieved.

Interestingly, with President Tinubu and the presiding minister, Dr. Tijani assuring of their commitments to the goal, Maida surely has some strong pillars to lean on, and, as a result, stakeholders expectation of reform and a turn-around of the sector by the new helmsman may not be misplaced after all. (Nigerian Tribune)