According to the Nigerian government, it has started reviewing its regulations in an effort to draw in foreign direct investment, enhance service quality, and keep up with the latest advancements in technology and innovations in the telecom sector.
During a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Dr. Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice Chairman, or EVC, of the Nigerian Communications Commission, or NCC, announced this action.
He claims that given the worldwide outlook and dynamics in the telecommunications industry, the assessment is now essential.
Additionally, he noted that the exercise will guarantee that consumers, MNOs, and important stakeholders are in agreement on matters pertaining to regulations, enforcement, quality of service, profitability, competition, investment, and internet safety.
According to Maida, the review is being led by the Nigerian government through Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy. He went on to say that if the updated policies are implemented, the industry will draw in more capital and bring in more money for the government.
Dr. Maida stated that the panel had noted with worry how customers felt about tariff rises, quality of service, data depletion, and the necessity of holding service providers responsible. He clarified that a recent KPMG research for the NCC revealed that consumer data is mostly a product of the devices and apps that customers use, rather than being collected by service providers.
According to Maida, the telecom sector has grown significantly in the two years since he was appointed, and operations are now more accountable and transparent.
He noted that the NCC’s policy on MNO data simplicity has given consumers the ability to make better-informed decisions about data consumption.
In addition, the NCC EVC said that investments in the industry had surpassed $1 billion and that there were 172 million mobile network users, 105 million broadband users, and 141 million internet users.
“This engagement is in response to calls for increased interaction with NCC’s leadership,” Maida added. We listened to what you said. We were regulating text and voice in the early 2000s. With more than 1,000 licenses under our jurisdiction, we are currently in the information era. The old model cannot be scaled. Transparency and data-driven competition are now being used to supplement regulation.
Additionally, he stated that in order to encourage service providers to perform better, the NCC is implementing information disclosure tactics based on behavioral economics. He revealed a number of consumer-focused projects, such as a public network performance map that would be unveiled in September and offer clear access to real-time quality measures like latency and download speed, as well as quarterly network performance reports derived from user data that was crowdsourced.
“We view corporate governance as a potent lever for industry transformation,” he added. Companies that are well-run and transparent draw in investment and operate more effectively. We are laying the groundwork for a fully owned, competently operated, and internationally competitive Nigerian telecom business.
A joint NCC-CBN task force has created a new operational framework to standardize electronic recharging procedures, Maida added, highlighting the problem of unsuccessful data top-ups.
Freda Bruce-Bennett, the Director of Consumer Affairs, responded by offering advice on how Nigerians can better control their data usage, including reducing background data usage and disabling autoplay on social media apps.
The NCC’s dedication to strengthening its ties with the media was previously reaffirmed by Mrs. Nnenna Ukoha, Director of Public Affairs, in her welcoming speech. She stated that journalists, as important stakeholders, had important responsibilities to play in the commission’s work.
READ MORE: LAD REPORTING
