Pantami: A Minister’s Glorious Exit and his Detractors’ Anguish
By Abbas Abdulazeez
TECHDIGEST – While he held sway as the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, between 2019 and 2023, Prof. Ibrahim Isa Ali Pantami was the target of all forms of malicious attacks by persons who have an axe to grind with him.
Unfortunately, they are still not yet ‘done’ with him, even after he bowed out graciously and gloriously, about a month two weeks ago, as Nigeria’s Digital Economy Minister, with unrivalled achievements to showcase.
Some of their agents, recently futilely attempted to discredit Pantami’s landmark feat in the passage of the NITDA Bill, this year.
In an incendiary article titled “Telecom: How Gbajabiamila saved Nigeria from Pantami’s curious Bill”, highlighted some baseless issues that apparently manifested their stark ignorance about the NITDA Bill, and the high-flying Digital Economy maestro Pantami is.
It would be recalled that in March 2021, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, proposed the realignment of the agency’s act with “tenets and ideals of the fourth Industrial Revolution” and Nigeria’s Digital Economy Policy.
What followed the proposal on 30th August 2021 was an official announcement by NITDA’s Head of Corporate Affairs and External Relation, Hadiza Umar, calling on all stakeholders in the IT sector to participate in its 2007 Act re- enactment.
NITDA had clarified that the agency does not seek to regulate telecoms business, but regulate Information Technology for development.
The NITDA bill seeks to introduce a licensing regime for operators in the Information Technology Industry and Digital Economy. The bill empowers the agency to issue regulations that provide for licensing and authorisation criteria, including renewal, suspension, and revocation conditions to promote free market operation and competition, among other things within the sector.
She clarified that NITDA only regulates Information Technology for development and does not intend to regulate Telecommunications operators.
After studying the draft NITDA Bill 2021 and NCC Act 2003, 2007 critically, I make bold to state that there is absolutely no basis for such reasoning or belief except of course the intention of the critics is to pursue a sinister agenda. While Tahir and other armchair critics attempted to hide facts in plain sight, the recurring question they have failed to address convincingly and empirically remains, where is the clash of mandate between NITDA and NCC?
The facts are obvious in the history of both the NCC and NITDA Acts.
The mandate and authority of NCC is derived from the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 (NCA 2003), which was signed into law, after having been passed by both Houses of the National Assembly, by President Olusegun Obasanjo on July 8, 2003.
The NCA 2003 applies to the provision and use of all telecommunications services and networks, in whole or in part within Nigeria or on ships or aircraft registered in Nigeria. (see fact on the NCC website via thislink: https://ncc.gov.ng/accessible/licensing-regulation/legal/nca-2003)
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The laws that guide and enable the operations of the Commission include: NCC decree 75 of November 1992, the National Telecoms Policy (NTP) 2000. (New one under review), Wireless Telegraphy Act , 1990 and Nigerian Communications Act 2003.
The major mandates of Nigerian Communications Commission – NCA 2003 include to facilitate telecom investment and entry into the market, protect the rights and interests of service providers and consumers; management, monitoring and use of scarce national telecommunications resources and ensure efficient and qualitative telecom services and advise the minister on the formulation of policies and other matters.
In a nutshell, one can understand that the key function of NCC is to regulate and oversee the telecom industry in Nigeria.
I don’t know why Pantami has suffered more than a fair share of abuses from ignorant folks for no other reason other than his determination to leave the digital space in Nigeria far better than he met it which he did.
I don’t know why critics always mentioning Pantami with NCC palava, after all, NCC is not the only Agency under him as a minister and they all obeyed his instructions as a supervisor of the ministry. I wonder why all these cowards are now attacking him despite his unprecedented track records.
Unfortunately for the sponsored writers and propagandists, who behave as if they were sponsored by NCC officials, the EVC himself, Professor Umar Garba Danbatta was not only loyal and trustworthy public officer, he respects the Minister’s gut efforts and sacrifice in the digital economy to the extent that he praises Pantami actions and utterances. Why the brouhaha now just because the Minister is no more in the saddle, when the minister
Since his foray into public service, Pantami has no doubt exceeded expectations by consistently working round the clock to come up with innovative ideas to expand the digital space to accommodate more young Nigerians who would have been left jobless.
The Ex-minister of Communications and Digital Economy succeeded in putting Nigeria’s digital economy on the global map.
Among the major achievements of Pantami include the unprecedented 18.44 per cent highest ever contribution to the country’s GDP by the ICT sector in a quarter.
Also, apart from securing the approval and supervision of the distribution of 6000 ipads to Nigerian institutions to promote virtual teaching, learning and other scholarly activities, Pantami secured a partnership with Microsoft to train five million Nigerians in ICT related and emerging technology courses.
He also secured a partnership with HUAWEI that attracted free training for over 30,000 Nigerians and promoted the establishment of 300 HUAWEI ICT Academies in Nigeria.
Pantami was credited with securing a partnership with KOICA that attracted a total grant aid of $13 million for the Federal Government to support the project for building foundation towards digital governance in Nigeria in the second phase of the e-Government Project for Nigeria.
Others are: the implementation of broadband connectivity across the country, reinvigorating Nigeria’s digital economy sub-sector, implementation of a Digital Identity Programme, implementation of a National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy, digitalizing government functions and processes, launching of 5G network as well as deployment of 4G across the country.
The stuff of career cowards is to hit below the belt when their target is no longer in office and can no longer defend himself using the paraphernalia of office. But a lie is a lie irrespective of when it is being told and how often it has been told.
Posterity will be kind to Pantami.
Abbas Abdulazeez writes from Federal Housing Lugbe, Abuja
