The National Communications Authority (NCA) has received two honors at the eighth Africa Digital Economy Awards (ADEA), which were held in Nairobi, Kenya.
The authority was named Africa Communications Regulator of the Year, and its Director-General, Joe Anokye, was recognized for his remarkable leadership in managing the country’s communications industry, earning him a berth among the continent’s top 50 digital economy leaders.
The Africa Digital Economy Awards, organized by the Instinctwave Group, publishers of the Digital Economy Magazine, aim to recognize African leaders, innovators, creatives, and inventions that use digital innovations to revolutionize both the private and public sectors, impact lives, and transform cultures.
Authority
Akin Naphtal, CEO of Instinctwave Group, presented the awards to the NCA in Accra, explaining that the NCA’s commendable policies and initiatives, such as the successful implementation of the SIM card re-registration exercise in the country to establish a secure SIM database, were highlighted as efforts that not only instilled confidence and security but also played a vital role in curbing cybercriminal activities and promoting a sanitised digital space for all users.
He further stated that during the fiscal year under review, the authority led the piloting of Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) in Accra and Kumasi, making Ghana the first in West Africa and the fourth in Africa to deploy DAB.
The effort aims to alleviate frequency restrictions while also improving reception quality.
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He also stated that the NCA implemented technology neutrality for non-SMP operators as part of a strategic move to address market imbalances and increase consumer choice in the telecommunications sector; the agency actively participated in the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation’s Girls in ICT programme, hosting 100 selected participants for mentorship as part of the 2023 National Girls in ICT Initiative.
Mr. Anokye received the DG award for setting a high level of excellence in digital economy leadership and for his disruptive contributions to the communications industry.
“His commitment to excellence in digital economy leadership and his transformative contributions to the communications sector have been instrumental in establishing the NCA as a benchmark in regulatory infrastructure,” he added.
Mr Anokye has been lauded for revitalizing Ghana’s communications industry through the establishment of key regulatory tools such as the Broadcasting Monitoring Centre, NCA-CERT, and Type Approval Lab since his appointment in 2017, a feat that has earned him a spot among Africa’s Top 50 Digital Economy Leaders.
His imaginative leadership has been critical to the NCA’s success in telecommunications regulation, garnering several benchmark visits from a wide range of organizations.
Gratitude
Mr Anokye acknowledged his appreciation by stressing the NCA’s major contributions in the sector of telecommunications.
He also expressed his gratitude for the honor, saying that “the awards reminded us of our responsibility to continue striving for excellence in our mandate.”
He also acknowledged the efforts of Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, the NCA Board, management, and staff, all of whom worked relentlessly to support him in his work.
The NCA has recently overseen the establishment of National Roaming in Ghana for the benefit of all Ghanaian telecommunications users.
This endeavor has gone beyond Ghana, with NCA working with its equivalent in Cote d’Ivoire, led by the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation, to develop bilateral free roaming.
Since being nominated for the award, the NCA has continued to develop more regulatory interventions, including signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Togo to implement bilateral free roaming and collaborating with the National Media Commission (NMC) to use the NCA’s Broadcast Monitoring Centre to report offensive and inappropriate broadcasting content in Ghana.
