- As Telecommunications Handbook Launches
By Angeline Mgbele, Correspondent Abuja
Independent telecommunications regulatory authority, the Nigeria communication Commission (NCC), has remained steadfast and untainted as far the protection of the rights of the telecommunications consumer is concerned in Nigeria. This is the position held yesterday by the Industry Consumer Advisory Forum(ICAF)at the international press conference to mark the first virtual World Consumer Rights Day(WCRD). ICAF was represented at the event by its Chairman, Prince Ighoovie Majemite.
According to Prince Majemite, over the years NCC had created a veritable enabling environment for a robust telecommunication industry that spoke to good customer experience.
Giving a historical perspective to the coming of ICAF, Prince Majemite said in achieving its regulatory goals, many players were involved and one of these players was the ICAF.
He explained that ICAF was an advisory body set up by NCC to look at thematic issues in the telecommunication business in Nigeria. “ICAF bandies these thematic issues and advises on implementable resolutions that are forwarded to NCC management,” he said. Providing insight into ICAF’s activities, Prince Majemite stated that it had provided many implemented resolutions like DND, Porting of phone lines, unused Data rollover and others.
A high point of the event was the unveiling of another ICAF initiative in collaboration with NCC namely The Telecommunication Handbook
As per the Chairman of ICAF, “this book is very informative and educative. It captured the necessary things consumers need to know in the telecommunication industry without ambiguity.”
He noted that his organisation’s success was achieved with inspiration from the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami and the Executive Vice Chairman AND Chief Executive Officer(EVC/CEO) of NCC Professor Umar Garba Danbatta and his management team.
Prince Majemite was full of praises for the members of ICAF and staff of the Consumer AffairS Bureau ( CAB) for the success of this book.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Executive Commissioner Stakeholder Management(ECSM) of NCC, Barrister Adeleke Adewolu, said that WCRD was held annually, under the auspices of Consumers International – the global coalition of over 250 consumer advocacy groups and entities in more than 120 countries and territories that organised activities on 15th Day of the month March, with a thematic focus that called attention to a topical issue of interest and concern to consumers in all regions of the world. This year, the theme of the celebration is: “Tackling Plastic Pollution”.
According to Barrister Adewolu, as a consumer-centric organisation, the NCC aligned with all visions that called attention to concerns about consumer rights and the need to secure them, because the prosperity of any business or service took life from its consumers and stakeholders.
Said he: “In 2017, NCC expressed unequivocal commitment to the centrality of the telecom consumer in the telecom ecosystem by declaring that Year as Year of the Telecom Consumers. Before then and after, we have been unwavering in our commitment to the primacy of the consumer in the architecture of telecommunications industry in Nigeria. For this reason, the NCC has received many awards, and we will not rest on our oars.
This also explains why we have organised today’s conference to recall policies, initiatives, programmes and activities of the Commission towards protecting the rights and addressing the concerns of the Nigerian telecom consumer.
I do not want to pre-empt the content of EVC’s Conference Address because characteristically the EVC is noted for addressing all dimensions to issues, and particularly when it concerns consumers in the telecom sector. …”
