Tony Ojobo

Director, Public Affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission

Anthony Chidolue Ojobo holds two masters degrees in public administration and business administration from the University of Lagos and Enugu State University of Science and Technology, respectively. He also holds various diplomas and certificates that include diploma in integrated marketing communications, and is a certified regulation specialist.

Ojobo’s romance with the telecom industry dates back to 1982, when he joined the defunct Nigerian External Telecommunications Limited (NET) as a commercial officer, with a brief to process applications for Voice Casts, Alternate Voice and Data (AVD) and leased circuits; conduct market research on use of services and supervise activities of call centres, to ensure speedy attendance to customers.

He moved to Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) in 1985 as a senior commercial officer, handling such assignments as processing of requests for services like AVD for banks and embassies; processing of requests for leased circuits for telecasts and events, as well as monitoring of activities of exchanges to ensure quick complaints resolution.

Between 1989 and 1991, he was the NITEL business manager for Festac Town and Shomolu, with responsibility for managing customers’ service centres; receipt and processing of telephone service applications and ensuring resolution of customers’ complaints, as well as identifying areas that needed to be served and making appropriate recommendations to the territorial manager.

Ojobo joined Chessboard Interiors and Gallery in 1995 as general manager, a position that enabled him to provide leadership to the organization; organize procurement of goods and services; provide consultancy for cost effective management of office space and on exhibitions and event management, and also advise on local manufacture of furniture, using local raw materials.

He joined the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in 2001 as a deputy director in charge of administration, coordinating facility management and maintenance; planning and coordinating procurement of goods and services and ensuring a conducive work environment through provision of appropriate tools and equipment. He also coordinated the tendering process, putting in place mechanisms to guarantee transparency, as well as design cost-effective insurance policy for the commission’s assets, to forestall avoidable losses.

In the same position, Ojobo also coordinated the activities of the office of the executive vice chairman. Specifically, he managed and coordinated activities of consultants like the World Bank, USAID, DETECON; Deloittre & Touche. He coordinated the consultancy on the telecom demand study as a prelude to the licensing of digital mobile operators in 2001, and managed the World Bank consultancy on institutional strengthening, to put the commission in the right stead to carry out its mandate. He was also the special assistant to the executive vice chairman, with responsibility for project management.

In 2006, Ojobo became the NCC head for licensing and zonal operations, with responsibility to evaluate and process license applications from prospective licensees; identify licensable services and recommend to the commission’s management the suitability of such services in Nigeria; coordinate the development of license terms, conditions and obligations for unified licenses. Those terms are being implemented by the commission today.

He also designed the framework for effective operation of zonal offices, with focus on compliance, monitoring and enforcement, and managed and oversaw the activities of those offices in the six geo-political zones in the country; developed the license fee structure for all licenses issued by the commission, and developed the licensing framework for the rural telephony project of the Ministry of Communications Technology.

Between 2009 and 2012, Ojobo was director of human capital and infrastructure group, in which position he coordinated the activities of four departments in the group, namely, human capital, ICT, administration and procurement, reporting directly to the executive vice chairman. In that position, he designed and implemented the Digital Awareness Programme of the NCC for secondary and tertiary institutions in the country; provided direction and oversight of the commission’s recruitment, training and development and developed the template for the commission’s procurement process. This has brought about transparency in the procurement process.

He designed a policy to ensure efficient and effective utilization of resources to curb waste in resource allocation and management, and also developed and implemented an effective and proactive asset management strategy for the commission.

To say that Ojobo was adequately prepared for the position he holds today as director, public affairs of an organization that is strategic to the economic development of Nigeria would tantamount to making a gross understatement. That would be for want of a better way to describe his ascent on the ladder of corporate communication. Three decades of garnering experience in the corporate world, with two-and-half in the telecom industry, sufficiently equipped him for the diverse tasks that appear too numerous to list. They include development of strategic initiatives that build bridges between the NCC and its various stakeholders; planning and deployment of effective integrated communications programmes for a better understanding of the commission’s activities; development and coordination of strategies to foster harmonious relationship with other agencies of the government, including the National Assembly and development of new media platforms and programmes for disseminating information on the commission’s activities and programmes.

As head of corporate communication, Ojobo coordinates and manages NCC’s media relations, to engender a better understanding of its activities, and also markets the commission, the telecom industry and the country as a whole at local and international events, using strategic communication techniques.

He carries on his broad shoulders the huge responsibility for the reputation and perception management of NCC. It’s a responsibility he has discharged creditably these past four years.

Ojobo, who has competencies in brand and corporate communication; brand and stakeholders management; negotiation; utility regulation and public speaking, among others, is a member of the Certified Marketing Communications Institute of Nigeria and a fellow of the Corporate Administration Institute.