NCC adopts modern approaches in PR management —Danbatta

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has stated that the commission adopts modern professional approaches in Public Relations (PR)practices and stakeholder management processes.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, stated this during the 4th Commonwealth Public Relations Congress which took place in Lagos on Wednesday.

He said the concept of developing a mutually beneficial relationship between the Commission and the public are put into practice.

“The Commission deploys appropriate tools, and professionals required for the realisation of the objectives of sustaining such healthy relationship.

“In the Strategic Management Plan 2013 – 2018 of the Commission, Stakeholder awareness and engagement feature very prominently as one of the key pillars set out in the list of major objectives of the plan. This indicates the appreciation of the PR implications of effective and result-orientated stakeholder management, “ he said.

Danbatta said the growth of the industry is dependent on the investment decisions of telecommunications service providers and investors alike and that therefore are taking very seriously.

He said: “Management of this set of stakeholders constitutes the most difficult and delicate balancing act with regards to public perception.

“Relationship between the service providers and the Commission are guided by established rules of engagement. In other words, a licensed service provider is guided by the provisions of the licence as issued by the Commission.”

According to him, there are different publics that could be described as communities of interests in the Nigerian telecom industry. He added that there are categories of stakeholders who have loose relationship but essential influence on the activities of the Commission.

In the academic community, he said the Commission supports with Digital Awareness Programme, DAP, and Digital Awareness  Programme for Tertiary Institutions, ADAPTI. Both programmes in the words of Danbatta, benefits over 250 secondary schools across the country, and all the first generation, second generation and third generation universities and polytechnics across the country, involved provision of computers and Internet facilities around the campuses.