NCC Supports Short Codes For Cultural Content
NCC/ Culture
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has endorsed a short code for promoting cultural content as its commitment to support the cultural re-orientation of Nigerians in preserving the Nigerian culture.
The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, made this announcement in Abuja, when the Director General National Institute for Cultural Orientation, NICO Otunba Biodun Ajiboye, paid him a courtesy visit to discuss potential areas of collaboration between the two organisations.
Dr Maida emphasized the risk of foreign content shaping Nigerian culture if domestic content production does not increase to re-orient Nigerians towards their cultural values.
“If we don’t produce our own content that will drive home the culture we want to preserve, it is the content we are consuming from outside that will shape our culture. NICO has a much bigger part to play here. While we provide the pipe that is delivering the content, those producing the content have a major stake in influencing the type of content to be shared,” Maida stated.
The NCC Executive Vice Chairman said telecommunication operators in Nigeria would include cultural content on caller tunes, as well as short codes and robo-calls for cultural information.
The DG NICO, Otunba Ajiboye, during the meeting, highlighted the influence of information technology on daily life and the importance of leveraging digital infrastructure to enhance Nigeria’s arts, culture, and creative industries.
Ajiboye also revealed NICO’s plans to launch a Global Cultural Digital Platform called “DuduPlugs” to showcase Nigeria’s diverse cultural heritage and help keep Nigerian culture vibrant in the face of westernization.
“Our Global Cultural Digital Platform is an attempt to bridge the gap between culture and info-tech. This has the capacity to showcase our e-commerce, language, and other elements that can ride on the back of our communication platforms, reaching the world robustly and exuding the pride of our culture,” Ajiboye stated.
The collaboration between NCC and NICO aims to ensure that cultural content becomes an integral part of Nigeria’s digital landscape, fostering a stronger cultural identity for future generations.
Nancy Anikaezie
