Africa-Press – Nigeria. The Nigerian government said it has commenced a review of policies to attract foreign direct investment, improve service quality, and align with evolving technological developments and innovations in the telecommunications industry.
This move was announced by the Executive Vice Chairman, EVC, of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, during a media chat in Abuja on Tuesday.
According to him, the review has become necessary in view of global outlooks and dynamics in the telecommunications sector.
He also pointed out that the exercise would ensure critical stakeholders, consumers, and Mobile Network Operators, MNOs, are aligned on regulatory issues, enforcement, quality of service, profitability, competition, investment, and the safety of the internet space.
Maida said the Nigerian government, through the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, is driving the review. He added that once the revised policies are delivered, the sector would attract more investment and generate increased revenues for government coffers.
Dr Maida noted that the commission had observed with concern consumers’ perceptions regarding data depletion, quality of service, tariff increases, and the need to hold service providers accountable. He explained that a recent study conducted by KPMG for the NCC showed that consumer data is not depleted by service providers but is mainly a result of the types of devices and applications being used by consumers.
Maida stated that within the two years of his appointment, the telecoms industry has recorded tremendous growth, with greater accountability and transparency in operations.
He observed that consumers now have opportunities to make more informed choices on data consumption due to the NCC’s policy on data simplification by MNOs.
The NCC EVC also announced that mobile network subscribers had reached 172 million, with broadband subscribers at 105 million and internet subscribers at 141 million, adding that investments in the sector had exceeded one billion dollars.
Maida further said: “This engagement is a response to calls for increased interaction with NCC’s leadership. You spoke, and we listened. In the early 2000s, we were regulating voice and text. Now we’re in the information age, with over 1,000 licences under our purview. Scaling the old model is impracticable. We are now complementing regulation with transparency and data-driven competition.”
He also said the NCC is adopting information disclosure strategies rooted in behavioural economics to nudge service providers towards improved performance. He announced several consumer-focused initiatives, including a public map of network performance to be launched in September, which will provide transparent access to real-time quality metrics such as download speed, latency, and quarterly network performance reports based on crowdsourced user data.
He further said: “We see corporate governance as a powerful lever for industry transformation. Transparent, well-governed companies attract investment and perform better. We’re setting the foundation for a Nigerian telecom company that is wholly owned, well-run, and globally competitive.”
Maida also highlighted the issue of failed top-ups of data, stressing that a joint NCC-CBN task force has developed a new operational framework to standardise electronic recharge processes.
Speaking in turn, the Director of Consumer Affairs, Freda Bruce-Bennett, gave tips to help Nigerians manage their data usage more effectively, such as turning off autoplay on social media apps and limiting background data consumption.
Earlier, in her welcome address, Mrs Nnenna Ukoha, Director of Public Affairs, assured of the NCC’s commitment to deepening its relationship with the media, saying that journalists, as critical stakeholders, have vital roles to play in the work of the commission.
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