Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr Aminu Maida, has said that the responsibility of the commission to consumers is not limited to ensuring accessibility.
He said it is also the responsibility of NCC to enhance service delivery for consumers, especially now that internet use has become essential to and inseparable from the daily life of almost every Nigerian.
The NCC EVC/CEO stated this in his keynote address at the 93rd Telecoms Consumer Parliament (TCP), recently held at the Communications and Digital Economy Complex Auditorium, Abuja.
The 93rd TCP has the theme, Optimizing Data Experience: Empowering Consumers through Awareness and Transparency in a Consumer-Centric Telecom Industry.
Maida described the theme as timely, noting that “internet use has become essential to daily life, and our role at the NCC is to not only ensure accessibility but to enhance service delivery for consumers.”
He acknowledged that the telecommunications landscape in Nigeria has, over the past two decades, transformed from basic voice services to high-speed data that connects, informs and powers innovations.
“With the rollout of 3G, 4G and now 5G, we have seen Nigerians adopting social media, e-commerce, online banking and more.
“The introduction of 3G networks in the mid-2000s marked the beginning of this shift, enabling basic browsing and email.
“The leap to 4G LTE brought faster speeds, enabling video streaming, online gaming and a myriad of digital activities.
“Now, with 5G promising even faster speeds and lower latency, new frontiers are opening for innovations such as smart cities, autonomous vehicles, and the Internet of Things, driving further demand for data,” the NCC boss said.
Maida, who is the Speaker of the TCP, restated the NCC strategic vision namely, its commitment to meet the expectations of its stakeholders, including the consumers, the industry/licensees and the government.
He said, to meet up with the desire of the government and operators to the consumers, the focus of the NCC has evolved from simply demanding quality service to ensuring a holistic Quality of Experience throughout the telecom consumer’s lifecycle.
He said the quality of experience commences from SIM registration to usage and even service disposal. “Our goal is for consumers to be consistently satisfied with telecom services,” he added.
The NCC boss disclosed that, to ensure consumer satisfaction, thr Commission has revised its guidelines to include provisions that hold each player in the value chain accountable for quality service.
“Consumers can also soon expect coverage maps detailing operators’ network strength across the country.
“These maps will indicate coverage gaps, service quality, and signal strength, allowing consumers to make more informed choices when selecting an operator,” he added.
The NCC boss urged participants at the 93rd TCP to know that the essence of the gathering was “to create a truly consumer-centric telecom industry, in which consumers feel valued, informed, empowered, and satisfied with the services they receive.
“As Speaker of this Parliament, I want to affirm that this occasion is a platform for open and honest dialogue—a space where consumers can speak and be heard.
“Our conversations here will be integral to ensuring that our consumers receive optimal Quality of Experience from the industry.
“With sustained commitment, we can build an ecosystem where every Nigerian enjoys the benefits of world-class telecommunications services.”
