Nigeria emerges chairman, executive secretary of WATRA

Nigeria has emerged as chairman of the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA) by a consensus of all the parties concerned.

This unanimous decision was reached after several virtual and physical engagements by the Assembly with the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, supported by the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Professor Umar Garba Danbatta.

The Nigeria Communications Act (NCA 2003), by default, bequeaths the power of representation at international fora on the Minister as the sector’s supervisor and national policymaker. That makes Dr Pantami chairman of WATRA.

Similarly, the nomination of the candidate for the position of Executive Secretary also met with resounding success as Engr Aliyu Aboki emerged the winner of a keenly contested election involving six countries.

According to a statement by Uwa Suleiman, spokesperson to the minister, “Aboki’s nomination and endorsement by the Minister was strictly based on merit, considering his proven expertise and skills in the sector.

“These attributes and support from the Federal Government, with the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs playing a crucial role ensured Nigeria’s victory at the elections. While The Gambia and Burkina Faso voluntarily stepped down their candidature for Nigeria, the results favoured the Nigerian candidate with the following statistics; Benin 4, Guinea 1, Liberia 2, Nigeria 6.”

The newly elected Executive Secretary was presented on Friday, 12th March 2021 to the Honourable Minister by the EVC of NCC Professor Danbatta.

Dr Pantami charged him to be fair in his dealings and committed to the assignment and to work hard at being the best Executive Secretary to have occupied the office.

Dr Pantami’s unprecedented strides in Nigeria’s Digital Economy sector as reflected in the current National Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has won the attention and trust of the regulatory assembly in the ECOWAS sub-region and beyond.

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