‘Regulators treat OTT applications with caution’

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Professor Umar Garba Danbatta has hailed the contribution of the telecom sector in citizens’ increased participation in governance.

Danbatta who spoke while receiving the Director-General of National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) Ms Patricia Bala also noted that the countries of the world are deliberately treating the regulation of Over The Top (OTT) applications with caution despite the concern about harmful content.

“The whole essence of this digital transformation that we so passionately talk about is to ensure more participation of citizens in governance,” he observed.

He said: “There are many other important things happening, the smart phones, the social networks and mobile applications. These have transformed the society in unprecedented manner that things will never ever be the same again.

We are hoping that this transformation will be positive transformation. It’s our hope again that the destruction associated with these transformations will not completely destroy legacy, system, process and so on and so forth.

“Look at the impact of social media in ensuring free fair and credible elections. Many people hailed the last election in Nigeria as the most credible ever in the history and the role played by the social media cannot be ignored. When the history of elections in this country is eventually written, the role of social media in the last election will occupy an important portion. “

The DG earlier told Danbatta that she was in the commission to seek collaboration on how to curb circulation of harmful content on telecoms operators’ platforms. She commended the commission “for sustaining the upbeat of the profile of the telecom sector of the economy”.

In a related development, members of the National Association of Northern Nigerian Students, led by its President, Tijani Abdulmumuni, were at the headquarters of the commission to decorate the EVC with Sardauna Legacy Award of Excellence.