NCC Leadership: Big Wigs Race to Occupy Ndukwe’s Seat

Less than three months to the end of the legendary two term 10-year tenure of Ernest Ndukwe, executive vice chairman, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), about 10 distinguished Nigerians are embroiled in the race to berth on his coveted seat, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek can now reveal.
Nigerian Communications Act (2003), the regulatory framework for the communications industry subject to sections 8(3) and 8(4) allows a maximum of two terms of five years for the EVC.
Ndukwe was appointed EVC in February 2000 and now that his double tenure winds up to a successful ending, an intense lobby and maneuvering for his position has gathered momentum.
Out of the many names in no particular order, Emmanuel Ekuwem, Gbenga Adebayo, Lanre Ajayi, Kenneth Aigbinode, Manny Aniebonam, Stephen Bello and Dr. Bashir Gwandu feature prominently.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek gathered that to go by precedent, Emmanuel Ekuwem, president of Association of Telecom-munications of Nigeria (Atcon) is highly favoured for the post because Ndukwe himself came straight from the leadership of Atcon to head NCC. Ekuwem, also chief executive officer of Teledom Group and known for his passion for local content development in the telecom industry will end his two successive tenures of two years each at Atcon in April.
He has to however contend with Gbenga Adebayo, chairman of Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (Alton) chief executive of Community Networks Support Services (CNSS), one of the best brains in telecommunications and seasoned administrator. Adebayo’s reputation precedes him, and his contribution to the development of the industry has been extraordinary.
There is also strong challenge from Lanre Ajayi, president, Nigerian Internet Group (NIG) and managing director, Pinet Informatics, one of the first Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the country. Ajayi, electrical engineer and IT consultant, represented Nigeria at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa on the National Information and Communications Infrastructure (NICI) meetings, which partly led to the establishment of the National Information Technology Development Agency (Nitda).
Elsewhere, eyes are also on Kenneth Aigbinode, first executive vice chairman, ZoomMobile (formerly Reltel Wireless) reputed for his experience in corporate governance, corporate re-structuring, marketing, and brand re-positioning.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek gathered that some of the country’s ICT experts abroad are said to be interested in the post. There are over 60,000 core Nigerian ICT professionals in the US alone and another 30,000 around the other parts of the world.
In-house at the NCC, there is Stephen Adedayo Bello, executive commissioner, Licensing and Consumer Affairs with over 30 years’ experience working as a professional in the private and public sectors as well as the academia. Bello has learnt the ropes at the NCC since 2000 when he joined the commission as director engineering and has had considerable international exposure through working with world-class multinational companies.
There is also Dr. Bashir Gwandu, executive commissioner, Engineering and Standards, who supervised the Interconnect rate determination of September, 2006 that led improved competition, leading to significant reduction in telecom tariff in Nigeria.
Gwandu, passionate about telecoms was also instrumental to the re-classification of sales and installation licenses to class-category which has encouraged SMEs entry into the market, the issuance of all the 17 unified- and hundreds of other licenses, the liberalization of international gateway for GSM operators, thereby reducing tariff for international calls, the elongation of access validity period beyond 90days, the introduction of anti- mobile phone theft scheme and so on.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek gathered that whoever becomes the next EVC of the NCC will struggle at least initially to fit into the big shoe that will be left by Ndukwe.
Ndukwe, a man of uncommon achievements etched his name in history books for the tremendous growth and transformation of the telecom industry and for transforming NCC into a transparent and open agency.