Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Dr. Aminu Maida, has assured stakeholders in the industry that the Commission remains committed to enabling an environment that will be mindful of the security and stability of Nigerian telecom infrastructure.
Dr. Maida, while giving an opening speech at the NCC’s recently concluded Telecom Industry Risk Management Conference in Lagos, said that the NCC is “committed to fostering an environment that encourages innovation while prioritising the security and stability of our telecom infrastructure.”
With the theme: “Evolution and Future Risk Management in the Telecoms Industry: Harnessing Emerging Technologies and Trends”, Telecoms Industry Risk Management Conference was a gathering that brought together various stakeholders including- risk experts, academia, financial institutions, and professionals in telecommunications.
The NCC boss noted that as the country “navigate through 5G and the uncharted territory of the next generations of wireless technologies (6G and 7G), collaborative efforts among regulators, industry players, and other stakeholders become even more crucial for sharing best practices, threat intelligence, resources and implementing robust risk management strategies.”
“We should therefore move beyond mere compliance and reactive measures, and instead, harness the power of these new technologies and trends to build a resilient and future-proof industry.”
Dr. Maida disclosed that the NCC will collaborate with relevant agencies and industry stakeholders while discharging its duties.
“Collaboration is a key driver of my leadership. Together, we can build a shared understanding of emerging risks and develop comprehensive mitigation strategies. Building a culture of risk awareness is paramount.
“As an industry, we must empower our people with the knowledge and skills to proactively identify and report risks and embed security awareness and risk management practices throughout our business processes.
“Emerging technologies such as AI should be leveraged to generate data-driven insights needed to predict, detect, and respond to risks in real time. We should also monitor evolving threats and vulnerabilities continuously and streamline incidence response processes to build a resilient telecom industry.”
Dr. Maida, however, charged participants at the conference to “let us not only address the challenges posed by current technologies but also anticipate and prepare for the opportunities and risks associated with the evolution towards 6G and beyond.
“Together, we can ensure that the telecoms industry not only adapts to change but thrives at the forefront of technological innovation,” he said.
