Among these metaphors, is the psychic prison metaphor. The key elements of the psychic prison metaphor include; Unconscious processes, groupthink, historical baggage, self-fulfilling prophecy, myths and metaphors.

Crucial points to note in the pyschic prison metaphor are; that organizations can be hindered by unconscious fears, desires and psychological defense mechanism; that past successes or traumas, can condition future behaviour and decision-making processes; that our belief systems could shape our actions, which may be progressive or retrogressive.

As a management staff of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) from 2000 – 2018. I observed how different leadership styles of the helmsmen of the organization at various times, shaped organizational growth and progress.

The leadership style the Chief Executive Officer of an organisation adopts, could make or destroy the organization. NCC has gone through several leaders, each contributing to the digital revolution in the country.

Prior to full telecommunication liberalisation in 2001, the Commission was led by, Eze (Engr) Cletus Ogbonna Iromantu, and Dr Emmanuel Nnamah respectively. However, not much was achieved under their leadership, as investors were not willing to invest in a country under the military administration.

In 2000, the then federal government, under President Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR,  set up a committee to develop a National Telecommunication Policy (NTP) that would herald a fully liberalised telecommunications sector.

Following the recommendations of the  National Telecommunications Policy (NTP) of 2000, the industry became fully liberalised in 2001.

President Olusegun Obasaanjo, GCFR, in recognition of the urgency of bulding a mordern telecommunication economy, constituted the Board of Commissioners of the Nigerian Communications Commission.

The pioneer board, had experienced and proven professionals and technocrats such as, Alhaji Ahmed Joda (Chairman), Engr. Ernest Ndukwe (Executive Vice Chairman/CEO), Engr. Olawale Ige (former Minister of Communications), Engr. Austine Otiji (former MD, NITEL) others were; Engr. Patrick Kentebe (retired NITEL GM), Engr. Shola Taylor (former Executive at INTELSAT), Engr. Isaiah Mohammed (former ED at NITEL), Engr Muktari Zimit, and Engr. Don Ude.

The mandate of the board was very clear, to create an enabling environment for urgent and transformative improvements of the country’s telecommunications sector.

The board was inaugurated on April 3, 2000, marking the beginning of the transformative era of telecommunications, thus laying the foundation for the digital revolution of  the country.

Ahmed Joda’s board and management, came up with key initiatives to drive the transformative process —Telecommunications Demand Study (TDS); Institutional Strengthening, assisted by Worldbank, USAID, Deloiite & Touche, Detecon Gmb of Germany, KPMG and a host of others as consultants.

The institutional strengthening program was to build capacity in core areas of telecommunications regulation, such as, the licensing framework, Cosumer affairs regulatory codes, spectrum planning, economic regulation, compliance monitoring & enforcement, and technical standards regulations etc.

The third initiative of the board was the conduct of a Digital Mobile License (DML) Auction to herald an era of a digitally-enabled economy.

The digital mobile license auction was acclaimed globally, as one of the most transparent digital mobile license auctions in the world.

A number of African countries, including South Africa, had tried spectrum license auctions during same period, which failed due to litigations from bidders. Spectrum International of UK, was the Commissions’ Consultant in the Spectrum licensing process.

The auction of the first three Digital Mobile Licenses (DMLs) occurred in January of 2001. The winners were; ECONET, MTN, and Communications Investment Limited (CIL) with each paying, $285 million for a 15-year operating license, with a 5-year exclusivity clause.

The fourth license was later awarded to NITEL (now MTEL) for the same amount. CIL later forefeited its license due to issues surrounding the payment of the auction amount.

In furtherance of the desire to build a world class regulator, the Commission embarked on series of board and management retreats, workshops, and training programs to craft the vision and mission of the organization, define core values, and build a corporate culture centered on  diligence, hardwork, selflessness, goal-driven and focused staff, with eyes on the ball.

There were several international trainings and partnerships with similar bodies such as; the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of the US; United States Telecommunications Training Institute (USTTI), OFCOM in the UK, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) among others. The exposure of the Commission’s staff to various specialised trainings, conferences, and the activities of the commissions’ staff in the various Working Groups at the ITU, led to the building of one of the most respected regulator in the world, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

The need to build an institution to train workers for the industry necesitated the establishment of the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) Abuja, with campuses in Lagos, Kano, Yola, Asaba, and Enugu. That of Enugu never took off for reasons that are inexplicable. The ITU voted Nigeria for five years, the fastest growing telecommunications market in the world.

The ITU report could be traced to the dedication of the first NCC Board of Commissioners, the unflinching support, dedication, and sacrifice  of management and staff of the commission. All these virtues led to the building of one of most  respected regulator in the world.

It is on that note that stakeholders welcome the recent constitution of the board of NCC by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. There have been concerns, and worries amongst stakeholders about the declining quality of services and other regulatory challenges in the country.

Regulating an industry, which drives the digital economy without a board is a panacea for chaos and retrogression.

Now that a board has been constituted, it is important that the screening, confirmation and inauguration of the board, should be carried out expeditiously.

The Nigerian Communications Commission needs the intervention of the board to resolve a number of challenges currently plaguing the industry.

The telecommunications regulator has remained without a board for too long, the longest thus far since full liberalisation, and it has contributed to the myriad of challenges witnessed in the sector.

The Current board would have a lot of work to do, and should hit the ground running after Confirmation and inauguration.

The board should urgently address issues such as;  the amendment of Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003, which cannot effectively address emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and issues bordering on technology convergence.

Other matters include; the declining quality of services, which should be holistically examined, to ascertain the immidiate causes of the decline and address them; conduct a comprehensive staff audit to ensure that existing staff can effectively regulate the industry. Ascertain if staff are adequately motivated to deliver on their assignments.

The board should as a matter of urgency, examine the outstanding issues and challenges the service providers currently contend with, and ensure a quick resolution.

The board with the Management should urgently conduct a stakeholders summit to directly take notes of issues plaguing the industry, and address them expeditiously.

Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has a rich legacy of excellence, impartiality and professionalism. There is a need to ensure that the core values of the commission, the professional and excellent corporate culture, that is composed of a world-class human capital is maintained.

Recruitment into the commission should recognise competence, capacity, and cognate experience.  Inexperienced staff should be trained to be able to contribute to the progress of the organization.

The bottom-up appraoch of the commission in its regulatory processes should be sustained.

On a final note the board could draw from the expertise of erstwhile staff of the commission, with institutional  memory, expertise and experience to provide guidance and advise. Fortutiously, Hajia Mariam Bayi, the former Director of Human Capital and Infrastructure is on the new board.

It is hoped that new the board can benefit from her experience. The newly constituted board should provide the needed guidance to the Executive Vice-Chairman, Dr. Aminu Maida to move the industry forward. Time is not on the side of this board. The industry is in an emergency state, and urgent intervention is critical.

The Commission’s management should avoid the psychic prison syndrome by ensuring that historical baggage arising from past regulatory decisions, unconscious fears arising from possible impact of regulatory actions, past successes or failures, do not put the organization in a psychic prison. Previous successes could lead to complacency, and lack of innovative regulatory initiatives, thus hindering innovation and development.

The board and management should ensure that their belief systems do not shape the organizations regulatory actions in a retrogressive manner, but they should rather be progressive.

The vision of the pioneer board and management, the  mission and core values that has placed the country on global regulatory map should be sustained. I wish the new board success as they navigate through the challenging regulatory issues currently confronting the sector.

*Tony Ojobo, Ph.D. fimc, fcai. former Director of Public Affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission. Dr. Ojobo is a consultant in Corporate Communications, Strategic Mangement & Leadership Development. He can be reached via: tonyojobo@gmail.com

“When the trust account is high, communication is easy, instant, and effective”,

– Stephen R. Covey.

Corporate communications in Nigeria’s public sector is akin to walking the eggshells. Balancing public and institutional interest in information management is a daunting responsibility.

Public sector institutions prefer significant confidentiality measures in their information management processes. Emerging cybersecurity technologies and knowledge management have led to the introduction of extra steps for information storage and retrieval.

Many of these organizations currently store documents in digital formats, encrypted, and, in some cases, introduce a password for access. In federal ministries, agencies and departments, the use of physical files is, however, still prevalent.

Several memos, reports, and documents transverse the institutions in utmost confidentiality. Spokespersons or Directors of Communications in these government agencies walk a tight rope in information management.

Government officials have attributed this state of affairs to the confidential nature of public sector activities and the need to protect the organizations and government from unintended information leakages that could cause embarrassment.

These officials have cited the Official Secret Act, also known as the Oath of Secrecy Act, 1962, as the significant barrier to corporate communications in the public sector.

The overarching objective of the Act is to “check against the publication of highly confidential information or documents that may weaken or limit the integrity of any government and, by extension, threaten the security of the state” (Asemah, 2009, p. 371). 

Citizens have continued to express concerns over the continuous use of the 1962 Oath of Secrecy Act, 61 years after the country’s independence.

The Clerk of the House of Representatives, Yahaya Danzaria, in a story in Premium Times of August 9, 2022, was quoted as intimating the staff of the House of Representatives that the Oath of Secrecy Act of 1962 has remained in force to prevent the leakage of important official documents of the government, stressing that institutions must protect vital government information to avoid exposing it to embarrassment and ridicule.

Despite enacting the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in 2011, government officials still fear the consequences of divulging official government information. Some government employees have lost their jobs for releasing confidential information without authorization.

The above places enormous restrictions on Directors of Communication or Spokespersons of government agencies. The need to withhold some vital information, and justifiably so, while under pressure from the media and other stakeholders for information could be unsettling.

Industry professionals, the media and members of the public have expressed grave concerns over limited information on the activities of some government agencies, stressing that, at times, some of the statements released are inadequate and outdated.

Corporate communication analysts have observed that the FOIA 2011 has not necessarily solved the problem, arguing that obtaining information from government agencies remains challenging.

The recent upsurge of requests for information from government agencies under the FOIA, 2011, is attributed to the existing communication gap between public sector organizations and stakeholders. Strategic stakeholders’ engagement is crucial to information management.

As mentioned above, the prevailing scenario underscores the need for regular stakeholder engagements, where the public sector institutions provide information addressing nagging questions.

Stakeholders’ engagement strategy reduces the pressure institutions encounter regarding requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act of 2011. 

In 2013, the Public Affairs Department of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), under the leadership of Dr. Eugene Juwah, the then Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), obtained an approval of the department’s strategies to guide the Commission’s corporate communications.

I must emphasize that, it is in organization’s best interest, to have one spokesperson to avoid the release of mixed messages, thus creating communication dissonance. The messaging should be consistent, factual, and unambiguous.

The spokesperson must keep abreast of the subject matters and be very knowledgeable. The corporate affairs director or spokesperson should elicit the trust of the CEO, the approving authority for all external communications.

Any suggestion of pursuing personal interest would engender suspicion and consequent censorship due to a lack of confidence and doubt.

The CEO should approve all sensitive materials for external communications. Owing to the sensitive nature of the communications industry, statements from the Commission must be consistent, clear, transparent, timely, and factual and should address the issues at stake. 

During the period the industry experienced poor Quality of Services (QoS), the Commission decided that our communications would be frank and regular, without coverups.

Denials of obvious situations and challenges provokes the people, but acceptance of the existing situation craving for understanding, while the situation is addressed, elicits favorable considerations.

The Commission was transparent, empathetic, and timely in our strategic communications. The public affairs department adopted an open-door policy and was ready to respond to media enquiries. There were regular media appearances addressing the challenges in the sector and the regulatory interventions the Commission engaged to solve the problems.

The Commission acknowledged the existence of the QoS challenges in all media appearances and press releases but outlined the measures the Commission had adopted to deal with the issues, such as insisting on the strict compliance of service providers to the QoS benchmarks.

At that time, NCC wielded the big stick and issued the highest fine ever imposed by any regulator in the continent to a major operator in Nigeria for breaching the Commission’s regulations. 

To effectively manage the Commission’s information, we conducted a study to discover the factors that negatively affect corporate communications.

Our findings indicated that; delays in releasing substantial public information fuels rumours, and inaccurate information encourages negative ‘grapevine’ stories, an adversarial relationship with the media is not helpful, lack of transparency in governance breeds suspicion. Blocking communication channels lead to unfriendly relationships.

A Spokesman should keep an open-door policy with the stakeholders, especially the media, to avoid speculations and adversarial publications.

The organization should maintain regular interactions with both the online and mainstream media. Regular consultations with relevant stakeholders is necessary to keep them informed of the activities of the organization.

In 2015 , as part of our strategic communications drive, the department obtained the approval of the Current EVC/CEO, Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, to set up the Online media unit in the Public Affairs Department, and continue to utilize the social media handles on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram to disseminate information on the Commission’s activities.

The organization was one of the first public sector organizations to use social media platforms to engage our stakeholders.

The Director of Public Affairs had a Twitter handle that informed the public of the Commission’s activities, on real-time basis, engaging directly with Stakeholders and consumers of communication services. The Commission streamed many of its events live on social media platforms. 

The the world is a global village, and information is currency in the digital age. A former Chief of Staff at the U.S. House of Representatives, C. Lillie, on August 26, 2014, stated that “Information is the currency in the digital economy and as such has value.”

Mark Barrenechea, in his article “Why Information is the New Currency“, opined that, in a digital world, information is the new currency, and as information flows across networks and is exchanged, more metadata is collected, thereby growing in value.

Despite the existence of the Oath of Secrecy, Act, 1962, organizations can still find innovative ways to communicate with the public, without compromising very sensitive information. Corporate Communications must be strategic, intentional and purpose driven.

Social Media platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook have democratized information gathering, thus introducing some measures of disruption in information management processes.

Public sector organizations should embrace both the mainstream and the new media in communicating with the various publics. Information is a digital asset; organizations that ignore its impact on information management do so at their peril. 

Tony Ojobo, former Director of Public Affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission, writes from Abuja.

The telecommunications industry has undoubtedly witnessed tremendous growth and development in Nigeria. It is a sector that directly impacts every aspect of human life, business, education, governance, family, entertainment, etc. Growth in the industry was slow for several years after Nigerian Independence.

The total telephone subscriptions from Independence in 1960 to 2001 was a paltry 400,000 connected analogue lines, translating to a teledensity of 0.04%.

This number of telephone lines was considered inadequate for a population of 126.2 million in 2001, according to the World Bank, when the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) licensed the Digital Mobile Operators.

Before the advent of digital mobile service in the country, applicants for telephone lines waited for years to get a telephone line. The waiting time in some cases was up to ten years. Customers who needed to make international calls went to the international call centre at NECOM House Marina, Lagos, to make such international calls.

As a young Commercial officer in the Nigerian External Telecommunications (NET) Limited in 1982, I witnessed parents from different parts of the country come to NECOM House on Marina, Lagos, to make international calls to their wards overseas.

NET Limited Call centre was one of the few locations where customers could make international calls. The only exceptions were some embassies, oil companies and international banks, and a few individuals with International Direct Dialing (IDD) and Alternate Voice and Data (AVD) services.

Generation Zs (people born between 1981 – 1990) and Generation Alpha (born between 2010 – 2020) would find this amusing; it sounds more like a fairy tale. Yes, those were the days we were still in the dark. The situation persisted even after the emergence of the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) in 1985.

The military government formed NITEL through the merger of Posts and Telecommunications (P&T), responsible for domestic/national telecommunications services, with NET Limited, responsible for international telecommunications services.

I can vividly recall that at NITEL, Shomolu Exchange, where I was the Business office Manager, the organization processed applications under what was then known as “Capital contribution”, a scheme where applicants contributed various sums of money, depending on location, to get NITEL services extended to their homes and offices.

In realization of the challenges, and the inability of NITEL, as a monopoly, to provide enough telephone services in the country, the then Military government promulgated Decree 75 of 1992, establishing the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) as the industry regulator for telecommunications.

The establishment of the NCC set the pace for the deregulation of the sector—the then Minister of Communications ‘ Engr. Olawale Ige played a vital role in the deregulation exercise. Engr. Ige in the year 2000, eventually became a member of the Board of Commissioners at the NCC.

The Decree specified the following, among others, as the functions of the NCC. Facilitate investments in and entry into the Nigerian market, protect and promote the interest of consumers against unfair practices, and ensure that licensees implement and operate the most efficient and accurate billing system at all times.

Other functions include:

• Promoting fair competition in the communications industry.
• Protecting communications services facilities.
• Preventing service providers from misusing market power or anti-competitive and unfair practices, among others.

The Decree further stated the objectives of the Commission to include the promotion and implementation of the national telecommunications policy, establish the regulatory framework for the Nigerian Communications industry and promote the provision of modern, universal, efficient, reliable, affordable, and easily accessible communication services.

Some other objectives mandate the Commission to encourage local and foreign investments in the Nigerian communications industry, introduce innovative services and practices in the sector, encourage fair competition, and promote Nigerian participation in the ownership, control, and management of communication companies and organizations.

The Nigerian Communications Act set the above objectives to ensure a vibrant communications sector, with functions and purposes necessary for a potent independent regulator. Industry watchers believe that the Commission’s performance in regulating the industry depends on its ability to align actions with the objectives.

At the return of democratic governance in 1999, the government of President Olusegun Obasanjo was keen on transforming the communications sector. President Obasanjo personally invited investors to invest in the industry during his diplomatic shuttles.

Nigeria was smarting from the effect of military governance. The developed countries were still uncertain of the safety of investments in the country due to prolonged military rule.

Some major global telecommunications companies, like Vodafone and others, spurned the invitation, showing a lack of interest in the Nigerian telecommunications market. The international community still viewed the country as a pariah at that time.

Despite the lukewarm attitude received from some international investors, the government was determined to confront these challenges.

In a demonstration of its commitment, a Board of Commissioners was constituted for the Nigerian Communications Commission, Chaired by a renowned technocrat, Alhaji Ahmed Joda, and the former President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), a technocrat, an astute engineer, Dr Ernest Ndukwe, FNSE, as the Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive of the Commission.

The other members of the Board were Engr. Olawale Ige, former Minister of Communications, Austine Otiji, former MD of NITEL, Engr. Patrick Kentebe, Engr. Shola Taylor, Engr. Isaiah Mohammed, Engr. Zimit, Engr. Don. Udeh, among others.

Ahmed Joda’s Board understood the enormity of the responsibility placed on them and set out to build one of the most respected regulatory bodies in the world.

The Board embarked on extensive consultations worldwide with regulators such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States of America and other regulatory bodies worldwide.

The Commission also approached the World Bank for assistance and support. It engaged the services of consultants such as Deloitte & Touché, Detecon GmB of Germany, USAID, and Growing Businesses Foundation, among others, to assist with building a strong, independent regulatory body for the communications sector.

Two critical objectives to address were;

• the need for institutional strengthening through the adoption of an appropriate organizational structure and
• the engagement of the proper fit of professionals to implement the organizational objectives.

 The Board enjoyed the government’s support, which allowed it to operate freely without interference. President Obasanjo’s government respected the regulator’s Independence and did not interfere directly in its regulatory functions.

The government of the day had the political will to build a solid and vibrant communications industry.

It neither interfered with the Commission’s recruitment processes nor the regulatory functions of the Commission. The Communications Committees in the National Assembly were very professional and thorough with their oversight functions. All these contributed to the birth of a potent, vibrant, independent regulator.

Topmost on the agenda of the Commission was the licensing of operators to provide services to Nigerians, who long desired communication services.

The Board engaged the services Spectrum International Consulting Limited of UK as the Consultant to advise on the appropriate auction method for the spectrum licenses. Simultaneously the Commission was addressing the institutional strengthening, spectrum auction methodology, and engagement of competent human capital to deliver on the mandate.

Some of the factors that contributed to the success of the various exercises in the Commission include the political will on the part of the federal government to transform the sector, the professionalism of the Board of Commissioners, focused leadership, clarity of vision, and an understanding of the assignment, selfless leadership, a commitment to hiring the best hands, and desire to succeed. To remain a professional regulatory body, the Commission should maintain these tested virtues in its regulatory processes.

 The organization must ensure that responsibilities are clear and competence is recognized. The Commission should maintain the six core values of integrity, excellence, professionalism, responsiveness, innovation, and commitment in its oversight of the communications sector.

There is a need to underscore the point that recruitment processes should take cognizance of people who possess the required fit for the job. When regulators compromise on getting the right persons for the job, it leads to a decline in standards and effectiveness.

The actions of the supervising Ministry should not in any way undermine the Independence of the regulator. The Commission should be professional in handling matters that could compromise its Independence and thus weaken the organization’s ability to regulate the sector effectively.

 The current data from the communications regulator shows the sector’s growth level. The subscriber base for mobile services as of June 2023 is 223,338,215. Fixed wired/wireless services, 96,913, VoIP 228,553, bringing the total number of subscribers to 223,663,521.

Recently the Commission licensed 25 Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO) to provide services in the country.

These new licenses issued by the regulator further underscore the maturity of the sector and the opportunities that abound.

The revolution in the Fintech space, education, commerce, agriculture, health, security, and entertainment, all enabled by internet technology, cannot be over-emphasized. The e-enablement in these sectors requires that the regulator should not be hindered from performing its functions.

The telecommunications sector, a sub-sector of the ICT sector, which contributed 14.13% to GDP, out of the 17.47% for the entire ICT sector collectively in Q1 2023, should be given its flowers.

The imperative of sustaining these significant milestones in the communication industry is critical. The 22 years of mobile communications in Nigeria have improved the quality of life in commerce, education, security, health, entertainment etc.

Digital technology’s impact on Nigerians’ standard of living cannot be over-emphasized. Imagine banking without the internet, the services of online stores such as Konga, Jumia and others.

The introduction of hailing services like Uber, Bolt, and others. What of payment platforms for online transactions, mobile banking, and e-enabled services? There are just too many businesses piggybacking on digital technology.

These have happened because the organization’s Board, management and staff laid a solid foundation 22 years ago.

The subsequent Boards, management and staff of the Nigerian Communications Commission should continue to build on the labour of these heroes of digital Nigeria. Sustaining the gains made so far in the sector is the responsibility of all stakeholders, especially the regulator.

The revolution in the digital technology space must continue unabated.

Tony Ojobo, PhD., former Director of Public Affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission, and President African ICT Foundation, wrote from Abuja.