Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida.

The International Institute of Communications IIC has been speaking on the reason for its decision to appoint the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission NCC, Dr Aminu Maida into its Board of Directors.

The Institute explained that Maida’s appointment was informed by Nigeria’s role in telecommunications and digital innovation space across the globe.

The IIC is a globally-recognised platform for leaders in telecommunications, media and technology to collaborate on regulatory frameworks and emerging technologies, among several other functions.

The Institute was founded in 1969 and its vision is a world where ICT and wider digital ecosystems are a positive driver of fair progress for people, the environment, economy and cultures. It is committed to helping regulators, competition authorities and policymakers find the best regulatory and policy frameworks for the widest societal benefit.

The IIC is the only independent international forum that brings together statutory national regulators, competition authorities, global commercial operators and end-user representatives in a collegiate, neutral environment to debate policy issues.

Speaking on his recent appointment, Dr Maida noted that he feels a sense of honour to serve on the Board of the Institute.

“I look forward to sharing insights from Nigeria’s transformative journey and collaborating on strategies to foster a more inclusive and sustainable global telecoms industry,” he said.

The extensive career of Dr Maida includes significant contributions to small-cell technology and digital payments infrastructure in Nigeria. This has positioned him to effectively influence discussions on global telecommunications.

Dr. Maida has had a distinguished career across several leading global organizations, including British Telecom, Cisco Systems and EE Ltd.

Before his appointment to head the NCC, he was the Executive Director, Technology & Operations at Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc NIBSS, where he handled the responsibility of overseeing the operation of the entire payments infrastructure in Nigeria.

Available records also show that as the CEO of the NCC, he is driving several initiatives that aim to enhance connectivity and competitiveness in the telecoms sector in the country.

Dr Maida, a graduate of the Imperial College, London, obtained an MSc in Systems Engineering and later a Ph.D from the University of Bath in Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

He was appointed by President Bola Tinubu on 11 October, 2023 to head the NCC and was subsequently confirmed by the Senate on November 16, 2023 and he took over from Professor Umar Garba Danbatta.