Three weeks after he was elevated full director, Dr. Henry Chukwudumeme Nkemadu has been appointed the spokesperson of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) as Director, Public Affairs (DPA).
In a statement, the NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, said Dr. Nkemadu’s appointment “is in line with the Commission’s policy of putting round pegs in round holes for optimum delivery of responsibilities especially now that the stakes are getting higher for the Commission’s regulatory oversight.”
Described as a “well groomed professional” and “a consummate communicator,” Dr. Nkemadu joined the NCC as Principal Manager in Business Development in September 2003 with responsibilities as strategist for the department, evaluating, regulating and managing all departmental requirements.
“Dr. Henry has had a rewarding opportunity of traversing the entire telecom regulatory ecosystem which experience he will find handy as the new spokesman of the Commission.” Prof. Danbatta added.
The last person that held the position of Director, Public Affairs of the Commission, Mr. Nnamdi Nwokike, retired on April 1, 2019.
According to the NCC statement, Dr. Nkemadu “holds multiple degrees/certificates in several disciplines from three Universities both in Nigeria and the United States of America (USA). He has traversed several departments within the NCC and garnered wide and varied experience in the workings of the Commission.”
One of the key responsibilities he undertook was being Zonal Controller and Administrative Head of the Lagos Zonal Office of the NCC where he managed human resources as well as being the commission’s representative in the Lagos zone.
Back at the headquarters of the commission, Dr. Nkemadu was Deputy Director/Head, Special Intervention Projects of the Project Department where he superintended the initiation, planning, execution, monitoring/control and close out of intervention projects carried out by the Commission.
The projects, according to the NCC, provide the necessary tools such as ICT hardware, software, power systems, contents, specialised computer programmes, connectivity as well as enabling infrastructure and buildings in a shared manner to bridge the digital information knowledge gaps enabling familiarity and confidence in the utilisation of ICTs in teaching, research, innovation and learning schools and tertiary institutions.
Also, he had earlier served as a Deputy Director/Head of Emerging Technologies Research, Research and Development Department of NCC from January 2017, where he coordinated and synchronised the various on-going and other research activities in the Commission to assess the effectiveness of the regulatory decisions and actions. He also ensured a systematic investigation to establish facts or principles or collects information on any subject of importance to the Commission and the ICT industry. He conducted researches on current industry issues and trends to assess the effectiveness of regulatory decisions and actions.
Dr. Nkemadu also worked as Deputy Director/Head of Policy and Research Unit, Competition and Economic Analysis from 2014-2016 with the responsibility to coordinate Policy and Research functions of the NCC.
As an Assistant Director, Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis Department his responsibility included, research and economic analysis of market trends and other economic indicators on the Nigerian telecommunications industry. He facilitated out reviews of telecom industry policies, articulated and evaluated the implementation of necessary regulatory policies as well as facilitated the development Knowledge Management facilities in the Commission.
Earlier, he was Head, Policy and Strategic Planning Unit of the former Economic Analysis and Corporate Planning Department charged with articulating and monitoring the strategic focus of the Commission as well as evaluating implementation of necessary policies in tandem with government policies on telecommunications in line to achieving the NCC’s vision and mission statement.
Dr. Nkemadu is a family man married to Wendy with whom they have five children.
The NCC statement affirmed that the experiences the new DPA has garnered “will impact greatly on his new assignment as someone who has thoroughly understood the workings of the system.”