NCC: We’ll hold telecom providers accountable for poor services

Aminu Maida, the executive vice-chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), says telecommunications service providers will be held accountable for poor service delivery to customers.

The EVC spoke on Tuesday during the maiden meeting with the Nigerian Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA), Abuja chapter.

Maida said the consumer expects to get quality of service.

He said consumers paid for their services and service providers must meet their minimal expectations.

“You are going to see a change in the way we make decisions, we are going to be very data-driven. All our decisions are going to be backed up by data as much as possible,” the EVC said.

“We want to reduce subjectiveness and take the right decisions that will improve the industry.

“When there is regulation without any consequences or enforcements on obligations, you will agree with me that the chances of being met are very low.

“So we will drive towards delivering optimal quality of experience for our customers.”

According to Maida, the commission would look at its processes to revamp them as well as leverage technologies to be more efficient, deliver regulatory services and reduce internal costs.

Speaking on compliance and enforcement, the NCC boss said NCC would focus more on the consumer government, licensees and the industry.

“I have spoken about compliance and enforcement but we will also first of all be collaborators,” Maida said. 

“We will place a very high premium on collaboration with all critical stakeholders to ensure everybody is carried along in a co-creative process.”

He further said NCC would try to create a win-win scenario for everybody; but if that was not possible, all the licensees had an obligation to enforce compliance.

“The commission also will be driven by their recognition that we have primarily three critical stakeholders in the industry,” he said.

“These are the consumers of telecom services, the industry and the licensees (the telcos, the internet service providers (ISPs), submarine landed cable companies and all of the licensees of the commission) and last but not the least, the government.

“What we recognise is that each of these stakeholders has a unique perspective and has different expectations.

“Our approach will thus walk towards meeting the expectations of these stakeholders and everything starts with the consumer.”

Maida also spoke on collaboration between industry players.

He said NCC had resolved the issue between two major players.

“The issues between two of the top big operators which hopefully sometime we will be making a statement to let Nigerians and other stakeholders know that the two titans have sat down between themselves and resolved their issues,” he said.

MTN had received permission from NCC to commence the phased disconnection of Glo with effect from January 18, 2024, due to the long-standing interconnection debt dispute between the parties.

However, on the same day, the commission suspended the partial disconnection for 21 days starting on January 17, 2024.

Maida said measures would be put in place to ensure no recurrence.