About four years ago, many South Sudanese did not know the important and critical role that the information, communication, and technology (ICT) sector plays in the economic growth and development of a country. This all changed when Eng. Napoleon Adok Gai was appointed as Director General of the National Communication Authority (NCA). The NCA is mandated by law to promote and regulate the communication sector to meet the changing demands of development and globalization as far as the ICT sector is concerned.
For a start, Engineer Napoleon Adok Gai is an accomplished Information, Communication, and Technology expert with the prerequisite academic qualifications, skills, and experience. He holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science as well as Information Technology. He also holds various professional training certifications in Computer Software Engineering, Cybersecurity, Information Management Systems, as well as regulatory frameworks and policies.
Since his appointment as Director General of the NCA, South Sudan’s ICT sector has seen tremendous growth in the last four years. South Sudan is now recognized regionally and internationally as a key player in the development and growth of the ICT sector despite gaining independence just a few years ago. This recognition did not come without the key role played by Engineer Napoleon Adok Gai in his capacity as Director General of the NCA. Prior to his appointment as Director General, Eng. Adok also served as Chief Executive Officer of the South Sudan International Gateway.
Joining regional and international ICT bodies
One of the first tasks that he undertook was to ensure that South Sudan was recognized as a member of international bodies in charge of ICT. South Sudan is now a full member of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), which is a specialized United Nations agency for information and communication technologies comprising 193 member states and over 1,000 companies. Its core mandate is to facilitate international connectivity in communication networks.
South Sudan is also a member of the East Africa Communications Organization, which brings together ICT regulators, operators, and service providers in the region. Recently, under the auspices of Eng. Napoleon Adok, EACO hosted its first high-level meeting in Juba, South Sudan.
Rural connectivity
South Sudan is one of the countries in the world with the lowest rural communication connectivity. In some places, people have to look for higher ground to get a signal to connect to telecommunication towers hundreds of meters away. That changed in some areas when Eng. Napoleon Adok took over the reins of the NCA. With rural connectivity championed by Eng. Adok, many areas that never had communication infrastructure are now connected. These areas include Pibor, Yirol in Lakes State, Akon in Warrap State, among others.
Together with rural connectivity, Eng. Adok is also working hard to provide affordable mobile handsets to people in rural areas who cannot afford high-end mobile devices. This will allow low-income citizens of South Sudan to access communication services. Through rural connectivity, the vast majority of the population, who never had mobile phones or access to the internet, has increased by more than 50% within the last four years.
Increased revenue collection from ICT operators
There has been tremendous growth in revenue collection from ICT operators. This is due to strict compliance policies enforced by the Director General of the NCA as the regulator of the ICT sector. Some Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Fibre Optic Operators (FOOs), and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) had been underreporting their revenues and evading taxes owed to the government. Some of them were even colluding with government officials to evade taxes. Eng. Adok put an end to this practice by putting in place a Revenue Assurance System that accurately computes the amount of taxes that should be paid by ICT operators. Through his efforts, the ICT sector alone generates nearly SSP 10 billion every month, which is a quarter of all non-oil revenues collected by the South Sudan Revenue Authority.
Affordable tariffs
Despite the inflation and unstable exchange rate of the South Sudanese Pound against the US Dollar, the NCA, as the regulator of the ICT sector under the leadership of Eng. Adok, has ensured that mobile operators do not hike their tariff rates at their own will. Unlike other sectors of the economy, the ICT sector has incredibly remained affordable and stable for a longer period of time, especially in the last four years of his leadership. Efforts are underway to ensure that the majority of the population also has access to affordable internet connectivity, both in urban and rural areas. Eng. Adok is engaging with different fiber optics network providers to extend internet connections to rural areas.
Professionalization of the ICT Sector
Eng. Napoleon Adok has prioritized making the ICT sector professional, vibrant, and responsive to the ever-changing technological environment. He introduced training programs and workshops for all employees of the NCA. He recently oversaw a competitive recruitment process devoid of favoritism and nepotism, where qualified candidates were interviewed and recruited by an independent employment company. This ensured that the NCA was able to recruit individuals with the skill sets, training, and experience to run the ICT sector.
He has also ensured that qualified South Sudanese ICT professionals and experts are given first priority in all ICT companies based in South Sudan, unlike in other sectors where educated South Sudanese are discriminated against by foreign companies operating in South Sudan.
Civic Education and Town Hall Meetings
Illiteracy and ignorance are some of the chronic diseases that have negatively affected economic growth and development in South Sudan. Eng. Adok understands this, hence he introduced civic education and town hall meetings to educate and enlighten South Sudan about the important role that the ICT sector plays in the political, social, and economic development and growth of a country. Through these town hall meetings, the NCA has been able to foster collaboration between ICT stakeholders, operators, policymakers, and ultimately the citizens of South Sudan.
Eng. Adok has introduced programs aimed at equipping youth with innovation and entrepreneurial skills in the ICT sector to create job opportunities for themselves and become self-reliant.
Vision for the ICT Sector
Eng. Napoleon Adok Gai is a visionary and understands his tradecraft. He understands ICT and the key role it plays in the economic, social, and political development of a country like South Sudan. Eng. Adok’s immense wealth of technical training, knowledge, and experience makes the ICT sector an engine that powers economic development and growth through the use of advanced technology, as illustrated above. He has put South Sudan on the world map of upcoming countries that have taken advantage of technological advancement to promote economic development and growth.
Conclusion
South Sudan is undergoing one of the most severe economic crises since the country’s independence, evidenced by currency depreciation, leading to hyperinflation and skyrocketing prices of basic commodities such as food, medicines, and fuel. The country is teetering on the brink of total economic collapse.
Apart from putting in place policies that will improve the economy, there is also a need to have people with qualifications, expertise, and experience to drive the economic transformation agenda. Eng. Napoleon Adok Gai fits the current role as Director General of the National Communication Authority. He is a technology guru, well-versed in telecommunication operations management, regulatory, and policy analysis. He has over 20 years of experience in both private and public service management and leadership. He has participated in several specialized workshops, meetings, and forums at regional and international levels.
Recently, during the swearing-in of the new Minister of Finance and Planning, President Salva Kiir was quoted as saying, “I am looking for a solution; this is why I bring somebody today and tomorrow I kick him out and bring another person. When I succeed in getting the right person, I will hold him firmly and will not let him go.” In February this year, during the swearing-in of the Chairperson of the National Bureau of Statistics, President Salva Kiir was also quoted as saying, “We are trying to promote the young people that will make the real change that we are aspiring for.”
Eng. Napoleon Adok has what it takes to drive the economic transformation agenda, development, and growth through ICT. He has been tested and has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that he is the right man at the helm of the National Communication Authority. He commands respect and recognition from his peers both regionally and internationally. He is young and energetic.
He is assertive and a no-nonsense person who does not give in to political pressure and influence from the so-called cartel and entitled individuals with political connections. He cannot be intimidated, blackmailed, or threatened to do what he thinks is not right and against the interest of the people of South Sudan. Eng. Adok has ensured that the ICT sector is not susceptible to political manipulation due to its technical nature.
The writer, Andrew Lual Diing, is a researcher and writer on local and international economic and political affairs. He can be reached via email: andrewlual2012@gmail.com.
The views expressed in ‘opinion’ articles published by Radio Tamazuj are solely those of the writer. The veracity of any claims made is the responsibility of the author, not Radio Tamazuj.