Yemisi Izuora
The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, is steadily repositioning its self towards achieving greater number of industries from the local market taking more business opportunities offered by the sector.
The Commission has further restated this commitment to support growth of local industries playing in the telecommunications sector which it says has been made a priority policy direction.
The Agency, also said that while it is its desire to promote local content in the sector, it has a duty to protect consumer rights which it is dutifully pursuing.
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, EVC/CEO, of the regulatory Agency, Dr. Aminu Maida, speaking on NCC special day, at the Kaduna International Trade Fair, on Tuesday February 27, stated that in line with the Agency’s commitment to supporting local content, the Commission has implemented various initiatives to promote indigenous participation in the telecommunications sector.
Maida, said that through the Nigerian Office for Development of Indigenous Telecommunications Sector (NODITS), a critical unit in its Digital Economy Department and Research and Development Department, various local manufacturing and assembly of telecommunications equipment have been empowered.
The unit he revealed has supported them in promoting local software development, and supports initiatives aimed at enhancing digital skills and entrepreneurship among Nigerian youth.
In addition the Commission has sponsored a number of Hackathons to encourage and promote Nigerian innovator expanding the frontiers of the Digital Economy.
Specifically, Maida, recalled that in 2023, three winners emerged in three critical thematic areas of innovations; Blockchain-enabled Data Protection Solutions for Enhancing Regulatory Compliance; Assistive Technology Solutions for the Elderly and People with Disabilities and Technology Solutions for Renewable Energy in Rural Areas.
Also, the EVC, disclosed that the NCC has continued to prioritize consumer protection and empowerment, ensuring that consumers have access to high-quality telecommunications services and are well-informed about their rights and responsibilities.
He expressed the belief, that an empowered consumer base is essential for driving demand and sustaining the growth of the local content value chain.
He went further to say, “As we participate in this trade fair, we urge all stakeholders, including telecommunications operators, equipment manufacturers, software developers, and consumers, to embrace the ethos of promoting local content. By working together, we can create a more vibrant and inclusive telecommunications industry that contributes significantly to the Nigeria’s economic recovery and growth.”
The EVC, announced that as at Q3 of 2023, the telecoms industry’s contribution to the nation’s GDP stood at 13.5 per cent citing the Nigerian Gross Domestic Product Report, November 2023 – A publication of the National Bureau of Statistics, data.
Conversely, he said that as the Commission promotes economic growth through development of local content, there is the urgent need to address the challenges faced by consumers adding that the NCC is committed to protecting their rights while ensuring their satisfaction. “We therefore encourage businesses and service providers to prioritize customer satisfaction and uphold the highest standards of service delivery.
“With our keen interest and commitment to consumer protection, the NCC has implemented measures to safeguard the interest of consumers and businesses alike. We have established a robust regulatory framework that promotes transparency, quality of service, and fair competition. Additionally, we have set up channels for consumer redress, ensuring that consumers can resolve disputes in a timely and efficient manner. ” he said.
The NCC has further established seamless programs that will Protect, Inform and Educate (PIE Mandate) telecom consumers through various consumer-centric initiatives.
Some of these channels include,mConsumer Education Outreach Programmes which include the Telecom Consumer Parliament (TCP), Telecom Town Halls on Radio (TTR), Telecom Consumer Conservation (TCC), Professionals’ Dialogue, Market Square Conversation, Village Square Dialogue, Television (TV) Dialogue, and Trade Fairs such as this one today.
There is also the Consumer Complaints Management (CCM).
The Commission had created various channels of lodging complaints which include:
NCC Toll-Free 622 Contact Centre which is available between 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily except on Sundays and Public holidays, Consumer Portal http://consumer.ncc.gov.ng, E-mail: Consumers can send mail to (consumerportal@ncc.gov.ng, Consumer X account @Consumersncc, Written complaints submitted to NCC Head Office here in Abuja or any of our Zonal Offices in Lagos, Ibadan, Port Harcourt, Enugu, and Kano States.
The Agency has in addition added the Development of the Do-Not-Disturb (DND) 2442 Short Code, established in 2016 for telecom consumers to stop unsolicited text messages and nuisance calls. To activate the FULL DND service to stop all unsolicited messages & calls, Text “STOP” to 2442 and for PARTIAL DND service, Text “HELP” to 2442 to select the type of messages you want to receive.
The Development of Mobile Number Portability (MNP), ensures that telecom consumers can switch from one network to another without changing their original Phone Number.
The EVC, said the Commission is in partnership with Law Enforcement agencies to protect Telecom Infrastructure and has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with law enforcement agencies such as the Police and National Security and Civil Defence Corps to help protect telecom infrastructure from vandalization.
The Campaign against Sales & Buying of Pre-registered SIM Cards take up e campaign of informing Telecom Consumers to be aware that buying pre-registered SIM cards is a criminal offense in Nigeria.
Also, the Direction on Roll-Over of Data: Service Providers have been directed to Roll-Over unused data at the expiration of a data plan provided it is renewed within the stipulated time frame like a One (1) day data plan has one (1) day to renew, Above one (1) day but less than thirty (30) days has a grace period of three days to renew and Thirty (30) days has seven (7) days to renew.
Equally, the there is the Telecom Consumer Assistance, Resolution and Enquiries (TELCARE) Desk at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja that was set up to further provide additional platform to make enquiries on consumer issues; receive and facilitate the resolution of telecom consumer complaints.
The TELCARE Desk is also for advocacy on any thematic telecom consumer issue or concerns and most importantly, an avenue for enhancing awareness of the Commission’s activities.
Also, the Commission had on May 17, 2023, directed all licensed Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to commence implementation of approved Harmonized Short Codes (HSC) for providing services to Nigerian telecom consumers.
The measure initiated by the Commission is a bid to improve the Quality of Experience (QoE) of consumers across all mobile networks.
The new initiative is enabling consumers using the over 224 million active mobile telephone lines in Nigeria to use the same codes to access services across all networks. For instance, the same code *310# will be used for checking airtime balance across all the networks.
Meanwhile, the Campaign on National Identification Number – Subscriber Identification Module (NIN-SIM) Linkage – NIN-SIM Linkage is a process of connecting your NIN to your phone number to authenticate and protect your identity.
To link your NIN to your SIM, a subscriber needs to submit his/her NIN to their respective Service Provider to complete the process of NIN-SIM linkage. For subscribers who do not have the National Identification Number (NIN), they can obtain theirs from National Identification Management Commission (NIMC) Enrolment Centres or Your Service Providers Customer Care Centres, and you need a valid ID Card and BVN for enrolment. A subscriber can also link his/her NIN to his/her SIM by sending NIN- your 11 digit NIN to 996 or Dial *996* Your 11 Digit NIN# and follow the prompts. A telecoms subscriber can link his/her NIN to as many as 4 mobile phone numbers per Mobile Network.
Maida, explained that one major objective of linking subscribers’ NIN to SIM is to help improve and enhance national security in the country. AS A MATTER OF CRITICAL NATIONAL SECURITY, Telecom Consumers must link their NIN to the SIM. To this end, the Commission has directed all telecommunication operators to bar phone lines of subscribers whose lines are not linked to their NINs on or before February 28, 2024.
He expressed gratitude to the organizers of the 45th Kaduna International Trade Fair for providing this platform for fruitful engagement and collaboration, as he implored all participants to take full advantage of the opportunities presented to deepen our collective commitment to sustaining economic recovery through the promotion of local content in the telecommunications sector.