Buhari requests senate confirmation of Danbatta as NCC’s CEO for second term

By Omobayo Azeez

President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the Nigeran senate to confirm the reappointment of Umar Danbatta for a second term of five years as the executive vice chairman and chief executive officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Senate president, Ahmad Lawan read the president’s letter requesting the confirmation during plenary on Tuesday.

“President of the Senate Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan reads a letter from Mr President requesting for the confirmation of appointment of Professor Umar Dambatta the Executive Vice Chairman of the governing board of the Nigerian Communications Commission,” @NGRSenate tweeted on Tuesday.

The president had earlier approved Danbatta’s reappointment for another term in June.

The professor, who hails from Danbatta Local Government Area of Kano state, was first appointed in 2015.

Upon his announcement of his reappointment I June, industry stakeholders and pressure group in the telecoms sector, such as the Association of Telecommunications Company of Nigeria (ATCON), Association of Licensed Telecommunication Organisations of Nigeria (ALTON) had said the extension of his tenure will enable continuity of many initiatives in the sector.

Born in Danbatta Local Government Council of Kano State, he obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Technical University of Wroclaw in Poland and his doctorate from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, UK.

Danbatta was the vice president of the Digital Bridge Institute, International Centre for Advanced Communications Studies, which was established in 2004 by the Nigerian Communications Commission to build capacity for the Nigerian/African telecom industry in the diverse areas of Information and Communication Technology.

Until his appointment as the EVC, Danbatta served as the acting vice-chancellor of the Kano University of Science & Technology, Wudil.