The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said it has tightened the noose
against cases of data depletion and wrong deductions of consumers’ credit through
an ongoing forensic audit instituted by the Commission to ensure maximum
protection for consumers.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, stated this when
he received Man of the Year 2020 Award from MoneyReport magazine recently in
Abuja.
The EVC said while consumer protection remains a key focus area of the
Commission’s regulatory activities, it has accomplished significant improvements
in this direction through various initiatives aimed at putting mobile operators on their
toes to be more consumer-centric.
He said through the ongoing forensic audit, the Commission plans “to get to the
bottom of why consumers are experiencing data depletion and the possibility of
compensating them for wrong deductions, which may arise from short message
service (SMS).”
“We have instituted and we have insisted that despite the fall in data price, that
forensic audit must go on and must be concluded and the outcome communicated to
the CEOs of telecom companies”, Danbatta said.
While appealing to Nigerians to wait for the outcome of the ongoing forensic audit,
Danbatta said operators will be made to comply with whatever directions are given
after the investigation with a view to ensuring maximum protection for telecom customers.
He, however, noted that the Commission has developed Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQs) on data depletion, which are designed to inform consumers on activities that
may result in faster depletion of their data as well as enlighten them on measures to
mitigate such. The FAQs are accessible from the Commission’s website.
Over the years, the NCC has given boost to consumer protection empowerment
through sustained awareness creation and education on consumer rights and
privileges. It was for this reason that the Commission declared the year 2016 as the
‘Year of the Consumer’ with elaborate programmes to further underscore the NCC’s
commitment to consumer protection, information and education. The Commission
has intensified its compliance monitoring exercises with the acquisition of efficient
tools and capacities to bring sanity in the industry all in a bid to improve the quality
of consumer experience.
Among several initiatives, Danbatta said the introduction of the Do-Not-Disturb
(DND) has helped over 30 million consumers to block unsolicited text messages on
their phones while stern regulatory actions are constantly taken by the regulator
against any operator that prevents a consumer from subscribing to the DND service.
Also, the EVC said the Commission launched the 622 Toll-free Number, which
consumer can use to lodge and escalate service-related complaints to the
Commission for resolution, stating that thousands of complaints have been
successfully resolved since its introduction.
He further restated the commitment of NCC to the protection and empowerment of
telecom consumers using the over 208 million active telephone lines in the country,
as according to him, consumers remain critical stakeholders in the Nigerian
telecommunications sector and so must be adequately protected to ensure
sustainability.
Signed:
Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde
Director, Public Affairs,
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC),
January 28, 2021
