Any country that wants to grow its economy and bring about prosperity to its people would take very seriously the ICT sector. One of the major driver of global economy and engine for the prosperity of several countries is the knowledge economy riding on ICT infrastructure, services and ecosystem. The 4th industrial revolution that is moving fast into the 5th is hinged on ICT.
We alluded to this in our previous viewpoint titled: A Digital MOC and Buhari’s Next Level, published July 1, 2019. It is warm-heartening to find that three names on the list released today by President Muhammadu Buhari fit the kind of person we look to man the position of Communication Minister, in many ways. No doubt, some may still say that there are still be better candidates. This position we take looking at the face value, qualification and experiences of the three persons we have found on that list. It is our expectation that one of them may emerge as Communication Minister. The three persons are Godswill Akpabio, Sunday Dare and Dr Isa Pantami.
.Qualification and Experiences.
Akpabio, a two-term governor of Akwa Ibom state and senator of the federal republic, though a lawyer by academic qualification, had worked in the telecommunication industry for several years.
Akpabio had a brief stint as a teacher and as an associate partner with Paul Usoro and Co., a law firm that had several input in the telecommunication ACTs and laws in Nigeria.
He went on to work with EMIS Telecoms Limited, a wireless telecommunications company in Lagos, Nigeria. In 2002, he rose to the position of the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the company. In this position, he helped in shaping the future of the burgeoning telecoms industry. He had earlier served as the National Publicity Secretary of the Association of Telecommunication Companies in Nigeria, (ATCON), while a director of EMIS.
He worked as Commissioner for Petroleum and Natural Resources Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, as well as Lands and Housing in Akwa Ibom.
Dare, who has had several strides in journalism, is currently the Executive Commissioner (Stakeholder Management) of the Nigerian Communications Commission.
Until his appointment, he was the Convener of the Social Media Clinic (SMC), a Media/Information Technology (New Media) initiative committed to educating private citizens on IT development and also in the use of telecommunication as an information tool and creating awareness on how to responsibly use the platform provided by advancements in Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
He combined this role with being the Chief of Staff / Special Adviser (Media) to former Lagos State Governor, Ahmed Bola Tinubu.
In 2011 he won the Reuters Foundation Journalism Research Fellowship, University of Oxford, UK where he researched “New Media and Citizen Journalism in Africa – A Case Study: Using New Media Tools and Citizen Journalism to Investigate Corruption in Nigeria.”
He had decades of multimedia journalism experience spanning about 25 years (1991 and 2016) when he was nominated as Executive Commissioner.
He was a time Senior Special Assistant (Media) / Chief of Staff to the Minister of Information and Communications during which he guided decisions on all media and communications related matters, government information dissemination and media policies under the purview of the Ministry. He was at this time assigned to oversee aspects of the operations of the NCC and brief the Minister of Information and Communications on issues, challenges and opportunities in Nigeria’s emerging telecommunications market. He also participated in strategic meetings between the office of the Minister, Information and Communications and the NCC leadership at that time.
Pantami has degrees in Computer Science at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University in Bauchi, Nigeria, and before obtaining a PhD from Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland.
He is also trained on Digital transformation in Harvard University, USA, then Management Strategy in both, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Institute of Management Development in Loussaune, Switzerland. He was also in Cambridge University for Management Programme, among others.
Pantami lectured at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University in Information Technology before joining the Islamic University of Madinah as Head of Technical Writing in 2014.
He was appointed as the Director General/CEO of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in 2015.
Pantami is a fellow of both British Computer Society (FBCS) and Nigeria Computer Society (FNCS).
We have abridged the qualifications of the three possible candidates to areas relevant to the ministry of communication.
Strengths and Weakness
We however recognized that relevant knowledge and experience in any given area are not the only criteria for result-oriented management, nevertheless they serve as enablers for good judgment and decision taking.
It is our view that the three persons are eminently qualified to run the Communications Ministry, based on their knowledge of and experience in the industry. It is also true that all of them have had some experiences in management of organizations, both public and private.
The three possible candidates for the communication ministry portfolio would come to the job with the above stated visible strengths. There are however certain aspects that they need to work on to succeed in achieving the ICT goals of Nigeria and put the country on global digital map.
While Akpabio, from his antecedents would be a more outgoing minister and one who would blend with stakeholders and bring them to the table for robust and interactive input into government policy formulation and the charting of ICT roadmaps, Pantami would need to grow in that area. The digital ecosystem is not for lone rangers. He would need to come out of his office and reach out to stakeholders more than he is doing as NITDA DG. He would need to show to the industry that he is a team player.
As EC, stakeholders’ management at the NCC and a media person, for several years, Dare may not have problems in bringing, from time to time, stakeholders to the table for robust discussion and input to the Nigeria’s ICT roadmap.
On a face value, one would have predicted that Pantami may get Buhari’s nod for the job, but one little snag, on his way is that the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Communications, Musa Istifanus, is from the North, and it would be against the norm for the minister and PS to come from one area of the country. In any case president Buhari is known to have ignored established norms. If he chooses to have Pantami in that Ministry, he may also decide to transfer the current PS to another ministry.
There are some who predict that Akpabio may not have any chance in the communication ministry. They are of the opinion that he is nominated to take over the Niger-Delta Ministry. If this be the case and Buhari follows the norm and decides to leave the PS on his desk at the MOC, the likely candidate to take over the position of MOC is Dare.
In that case Pantami may take over from Ogbonnaya Onu as Minister of Science and Technology.
We at eWorld say, he who the caps fits let him wear it. We pray that the incoming MOC would come to the job with the requisite passion and national interest.
