NCC, Other Stakeholders Extol NITRA @ Inauguration

The inauguration of the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters’ Association (NITRA) was a move that will engender faster industry growth through collaboration with industry stakeholders on different fronts in and outside the country.

This was the position of the Nigerian Communications Commission and other industry stakeholders and supporters of NITRA including the Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON); Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Nigeria Internet Group (NIG); and the Nigeria Internet Registration Associations (NIRA), Electronic Providers Association of Nigeria (E-PPAN) at the official inauguration of the association held at the Function Room of Sheraton Hotels and Towers, in Ikeja, Lagos at the weekend.

Other industry players that supported the NITRA inauguration include the Zinox Computers, Computer Warehouse Group; MTN Nigeria, Visafone, Signal Alliance, Globacom, Resourcery, Teledom International, Airtel, Samsung, Cisco and Ericsson, JSP Communications, The Quadrant, Xlr8, as well as Lagos State Ministry of Science and Technology, among others.

Speaking at the NITRA inauguration, Dr, Eugene Juwah, executive vice chairman of the NCC, said the formation of NITRA was strategic to proper coordination among journalists for driving ICT development.

Juwah, in a keynote address on ‘Broadband Penetration: Opportunities for Business Growth and Sustainability’ underscored how broadband is accelerating growth in every facet of the economy.

The NCC boss, who was represented by Engineer Bako Wakil, assistant director, Technical Services, however, stated that the Commission solidly identifies with the vision and mission of NITRA.

He said: “Let me first congratulate you for being able to coordinate this event which is a culmination of your efforts in forming better platform for effective coverage of the industry. It is also heart-warming that your vision is to drive ICT Development through your mission to ensure ethical accurate, regulators and other key stakeholders for sustainable development of the ICT industry.

“We can say that we already share a common aspiration with these ideals as have been expressed and we promise to continue supporting NITRA as a critical stakeholder in the industry.”

While describing NITRA as a good platform which ICT journalists can leverage to contribute meaningfully to the industry, Dr. Emmanuel Ukuwem, chairman of the occasion, said it should be run selflessly toward the realization of its mission and vision.

Mr. Lanre Ajayi, ATCON’s president, and Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, ALTON’s chairman, who expressed their readiness to work with NITRA leadership, advised the association’s leadership to be transparent in its activities to members.

Speaking earlier, Mr. Emma Okonji, president of NITRA, said the decision to inaugurate NITRA was borne out of the need to create an industry-wide awareness about the association and to formally unveil its activities to the industry stakeholders.

Highlighting what the mandates of NITRA would be, Okonji said as critical stakeholders in the ICT industry, NITRA would continue to play our role of keeping the government and its agencies on their toes by assessing their performance in terms of policy formulation and implementation with a view to ensuring that ICT continue to be a major contributor to the nation’s economy.

“This is in line with our cardinal role as journalists, as contained in the Section 22 of the Nigerian 1999 Constitution, which states, inter alia, that “The press, radio, television and other agencies of the mass media shall at all times be free to….uphold the responsibility and accountability of the Government to the people.”

“It is NITRA’s belief, therefore, that the extent to which we, as journalists, recognise this constitutional role bestowed upon us and allow it to reflect in our daily account of activities in the industry reportage both from the government and private sector perspectives, the better for the industry as whole.

”While carrying out this important role, we would also continue to seek strategic collaborations, where necessary, with industry stakeholders in moving the industry forward, by championing its course for the good of the industry,” he said.

The NITRA President added that NITRA shall not hesitate, from time to time, to issue position statements on burning industry issues and make such positions known to the government for possible considerations and, by extension, implementation.

Established in November 2013, NITRA is the umbrella body of all ICT journalists in Nigeria, cutting across the print, broadband and online media.

The association has a vision to drive ICT development through a mission of ensuring accurate and robust reportage and deepening collaborations with industry stakeholders and the regulators for a sustainable development in the ICT industry.

NITRA is an affiliate of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ).