“In 2015, Nigerian telecom consumers spent a whopping $5.6billion on telecommunications services. And in 2016, they topped it up by another $1billion to make it $6.6billion”
With these words, Umar Garba Danbatta, the executive vice chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) flagged off 2017 year of the Nigerian Telecom Consumer in Abuja on March 15, 2017.
Danbatta’s speech on March 15, 2017 in Abuja dwelt on the preeminence of the consumer.
Danbatta said NCC took “a management decision that compels us to seek to amplify our activities towards ensuring the consumer enjoys a customer experience that is enhanced and content in time and quality.”
The patronage of the consumer is important and NCC acknowledges this, “that is why in 2017 and I dare say and even beyond, the consumer will be our focus”, Danbatta declared.
According to him, NCC intends to inform and educate the consumer with the sole intent of protecting and empowering them to make the right decisions.
“The telecom weak link, rightly or wrongly is the consumer” Danbatta declared again, adding that there are no small consumers as those who scratch N200.00 worth of card and the one who spends N100,000.00 are equal.
Danbatta’s 8-point Agenda which he launched in Lagos on January 27, 2016 and in Kano, February 12, 2016 aptly captured the consumer.
The summary of the agenda is: Facilitate broadband penetration; improve quality of service, (QoS); optimise usage and benefits of spectrum; promote 19 innovation and investment opportunities; facilitate strategic collaboration and partnership; protect and empower consumers; promote fair competition and inclusive growth and ensure regulatory excellence and operational efficiency.
Item 2 captures the consumer as it relates to Quality of Service (QoS); while item 6 talks about protection of the consumer.
The goal is to protect the consumer from unfair practices by providing information and education to them. “This is being actively pursued by strengthening initiatives, to educate and inform consumers in their use of communications services and act swiftly whenever necessary in the use of enforcement to protect telecom services consumers’ rights and privileges”
On the menace of unsolicited telemarketing whereby consumers receive unsolicited text messages and calls;
“NCC has introduced the Do Not Disturb (DND) facility where consumers are expected to activate the same by dialing 2442”
Part of the plan to actualise the year of Nigerian Telecom Consumer is the determination of NCC to ensure that the consumer experiences improved Quality of Service in the year 2017 and beyond.
The Commission is also implementing measures to reduce Dropped Call Rate (DCR) to meet its industry benchmark of less than one percent.
“It will closely monitor, track and review the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of operators by Network Integrity and Technical Standards. Greater efforts would also be put in Compliance, Monitoring and Enforcement of set standards,” Danbatta explained.
NCC has had meetings with the operators “to demand that Quality of Services must be improved upon immediately.
“There is also the 622 number for the NCC customer complaint line. NCC intends to increase the awareness level and equally the activation level of these two initiatives”, the EVC said.
Danbatta allayed the fears of other stakeholders in the sector. “Our focus on the consumer this year does not in any way suggest neglect of the other stakeholders in the sector. Rather it suggests a recommitment to consumer satisfaction. NCC is driven by the desire to empower the consumer and it is rolling out new initiatives to achieve this”.
Earlier, Sunday Dare, the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management of the Commission, provided further insight on the significance of the declaration.
Dare said many would want to ask why the NCC 2017 Year of the Nigerian Telecom Consumer? A loaded question no doubt. I will attempt to provide a quick answer using the 5 Ws and H that guided me through my career as a media and communications professional. They are the WHY, WHEN, WHERE, WHAT, and WHO.
Why? The consumer is important as the oxygen that keeps Telcos alive. The consumer is a major stakeholder whose satisfaction matters. The satisfaction of the consumer will help the Telcos increase their revenue base. NCC as a regulator is mandated to protect, inform and educate consumers.
When? The campaign runs in year 2017 and beyond. Every time we seek to engage and explore ways to make customer experience better is the when of this campaign.
Where? In the Nigeria telecoms industry, both for the inbound and outbound call experience – it is all over the country, from Kano to Kotongora, from Ado-Ekiti to Ekpoma, from Ikeja to Lokoja, from Dutse to Jos, Birnin-Kebbi to Yenagoa, we want the consumer to experience good quality of service.
Who? The consumer – subscribers to voice and SMS services, subscribers to data service and subscriber to Value Added Services.
“How? By providing unique and timely information to empower the consumer, by engaging stakeholders in a constructive way to ensure that they work with the NCC, by ensuring quality of service across board, by increasing the level of awareness and activation of the 2442 Do-Not-Disturb Service and by educating the consumer about the environmental and health impact of the telecoms infrastructure and type of phones approved for use”.
Abdulraheem Adebayo Shittu, Communications Minister commended the Commission for the timely declaration.
“The Theme for the World Consumer Right Day 2017 is ‘Building a Digital World Consumers can Trust’ it is therefore very apt for the NCC to flag off and declare 2017 the year of the Nigerian Telecom Consumer since the theme of the 2017 WCRD celebration falls within the purview of the NCC regulatory activities and oversight functions on the Telecom Industry,” Shittu noted.
