Posted by The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has received praise from the Lamido of Adamawa, Dr. Muhammadu Mustapha, for a number of its telecom consumer protection efforts, including the most recent Village Square Dialogue (VSD), which took place over the weekend in Yola, Adamawa State.
At the Consumer Conversation programme of the Commission with the theme: “Know Your Rights as Telecom Consumers” in Yola, Kakakin Adamawa, Prof. Abubakar Tahir, who represented Lamido Adamawa, said the event marked a privilege for individual telecom consumers and businesses in the state to ask questions and get face-to-face responses from the regulator on telecom-related issues.
“The NCC deserves praise for the outstanding work it has been doing in the area of consumer education and enlightenment.
The NCC leadership, he continued, “has taken the subject of consumer information very central; and we applaud you for delivering this noble initiative to the good people of Adamawa, in addition to being the sector’s regulator.
The royal father encouraged the Commission to take into account looking into further areas that can result in further cost reductions for telecom services and to make sure that services are accessible in majority of the nation.
“The Commission should kindly look inwards and ensure that all communities in the country continue to enjoy cheaper, better, qualitative, and more easily accessible telecommunications services,” he said.
The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, was represented by the NCC’s Director of Consumer Affairs, Alkasim Umar, who stated that the regulator has always been at the forefront of ensuring maximum protection for telecom consumers while creating the necessary conditions for the licensed service providers to be able to offer consumers high-quality service.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and all 36 states of the Federation, including them, are covered by the NCC’s responsibility to protect, inform, and educate consumers of telecom services. As one of our outreach activities, the Village Square Dialogue’s main goal is to facilitate direct communication between the NCC, service providers, and customers, according to Umar.
Speaking about some of the Commission’s consumer-focused initiatives, Umar said that the organization recently unveiled the harmonized shortcodes, which offer uniform codes for telecom users to access any type of consumer service across all networks, including call centers, data plan balance checks, airtime loading, and so forth.
Additionally, he reminded customers that the NCC Toll-Free Number, 622, is available so that they can contact the Commission with any complaints they may have regarding their telecom service providers. He also mentioned that customers can also call the 112 Emergency Number to get help in an emergency, as well as the Do-Not-Disturb (DND) 2442 Short Code to stop unsolicited messages.
“Information and education are essential for giving telecom users more control. According to the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003, one of the Commission’s responsibilities is to protect the rights and interests of telecom users. When telecom customers are well-informed and educated, Umar added, they are safeguarded from unfair business practices by service providers.
Umar continued by stating that everything in the modern digital world revolves around telecommunications services and that educating consumers is crucial for keeping them informed, resolving their questions, and giving them power via knowledge and enlightenment.
So, he continued, “I think it’s a terrific judgment that will educate the public about their rights, privileges, and expectations about the nation’s telecom enterprises.