November 27, 2015/Punch

The Senate on Thursday confirmed the nomination of Ahmed Kuru and Umaru Danbatta for appointment as the Managing Director of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria as well as the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, respectively.

Others confirmed by the Senate as AMCON executive directors are Kola Ayeye, Eberechukwu Uneze and Aminu Ismail.

Confirming the nominations, Senator Gilbert Nnaji, who is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Communications, and Rafiu Adebayo Ibrahim, who heads the Committee on Banking, Insurance and Financial Institutions, said the nominees would deliver on the mandate of their respective agencies.

Meanwhile, the NCC has said that it is working to ensure that the Information and Communications Technology sector contributed more than 25 per cent to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product by 2025.

Danbatta said in a document made available to our correspondent “At the current contribution estimated at 10 per cent, this implies achieving additional 15 per cent over the next 10 years.

“This is by no means a very tall order, given what we have said about the competition sectors of the economy, which is for the good of the nation in the long run.”

Between 2011 and 2013, the telecommunications sector attracted about N1.9tn ($6bn) worth of investments, which accelerated the ICT sector’s contribution to an estimated 10 per cent, translating to some N9.9tn ($50bn).