The Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has said that it organized the virtual forum on “Meeting the Interests of Government, Consumers and Telecom & ICT Companies in the Era of COVID-19 and Post COVID-19 Pandemic for Digital Economy Development” because it wanted to converge regulators’ interests -to ensure a competitive telecom market and fast track development of the telecom and ICT industry.
It also said the objective of the virtual forum was in the interest of Operator’s Interests – an enabling environment for businesses and protection of investment in the sector; and Consumers’ Interests aimed at getting them satisfied in terms of quality of services, affordability access and connectivity; for Digital Economy Development.
ATCON President, Olusola Teniola who stated these in his welcome address at the forum held on Thursday, used the opportunity to appreciate Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy who he said, has been working assiduously to change the narrative of Nigeria through the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.
“As we all know, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy commissioned a number of projects that have reflected the dividend of sustainable development programme of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari,” Teniola said.
The ATCON President said Nigeria’s Telecom Sector has witnessed several important developments including the renaming of the ministry which supervises the Telecoms and ICT Sector to the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and further expanding its mandate to capture the goals of digitalization of the Nigerian economy in line with the Economic Growth and Recovery Plan (EGRP) of the government.
The developments also include the recently launched National Broadband Plan 2020 to 2025; the unveiling of a National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) and the constitution of Implementation and Steering Committee for the plan, all aimed at empowering Nigerian consumers to take advantage of the Nigerian digital economy.
“It should be emphasized that interdependence and collaboration among the government, telecom and ICT Companies and Nigerians are clearly necessary but each of separate stakeholder has limitations and potentials hence the forum is expected to make an attempt to address the challenges and turn them to advantage for the development of our Telecom and ICT Sector in the era of COVID-19 and Post COVID-19 Pandemic,” Teniola said.
He said that ATCON was providing this veritable platform for Governments, Consumers (corporate and personal) and Telecommunications and ICT Companies to rub minds on how consumers can be better off in terms of effective delivery of telecoms and ICT services and products in Nigeria.
It was also aimed at attracting further investment into the sector through consumerism and enactment of friendly policies and regulation by the Government, a development Teniola hoped members would use the feedback from the forum to improve and model their service delivery going forward.
The ATCON President expressed the association’s gratitude to the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy; the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC); the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), IHS, VDT Communications, IpNX Limited, Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), PPC Limited, Galaxy Backbone, MainOne, Pan African Towers Limited, Medallion Communications, NIGCOMSAT, Layer3 Limited and the media.
Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, in his keynote address disclosed that the draft document on the Executive Order that would protect Telecommunications Infrastructure in the country is now before President Muhammadu Buhari for approval.
Pantami said that the protection of the rights of citizens and consumers was of utmost priority to the Federal Government, especially those who were struggling.
According to him, “The ministry is currently working on a policy that will reinforce existing Executive Orders 003 and 005, to ensure that priority is given to indigenous manpower and expertise.
“In the ministry, we always try to strike a balance by protecting the interest of consumers and citizens on one hand and the telecoms companies on the other…,” he said.
The minister explained that in order to create an enabling environment for investors and consumers, the government had intervened by enacting policies to protect telecommunications infrastructure.
Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta in his address explained that the Commission’s efforts at resolving consumer-related issues included the introduction of the Do-Not-Disturb (DND) code in 2015, when less than 500,000 people activated the code, but now activated by 22,722,366 lines.
“Ninety-eight per cent (98%) of the total service-related complaints received from telecoms consumers within a 15-month period, spanning January 2019 to April 2020, have been successfully resolved by the Commission,” Danbatta disclosed.
Speaking further on quality of service, the EVC said “the Commission has monthly engagements with operators as well as quarterly industry working group on Quality of Service and Short Codes, and is currently monitoring 2G Key Performance Indicators, while the KPIs for 4G are being prepared.”