By Emmanuel Elebeke

ABUJA—The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Professor Umar Danbatta says good information flow and proper education is key to consumer protection in the telecom sector.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, stated this in his opening remarks, at  the 33rd edition of Consumer Town Hall Meeting (CTM) with the theme, “information and education as catalyst for consumer protection” in Bida, Niger State, convened by the telecommunications industry regulator,

File: Inflation: Market

In order to promote the patronage in the telecommunication sector, the EVC said cognizance must be given to the needs as well as the demand of the consumer.

Prof. Danbatta who was represented by the commission’s director of consumer affairs bureau department, Abdullahai Maikano, said the forum seeks to educate telecom consumers and other stakeholders on contemporary issues generating interest in the industry and also serve as feedback mechanism for the commission in making regulatory intervention for the benefit of the consumers and the service providers as well as the industry as a whole.

He said: ‘‘It is very important for a consumer to be educated about how best to make use of the telecommunication services for social, political, economic advantages and gains.’’

The NCC organised the event  to bring together telecom consumers in the rural areas with network providers to discuss, proffer solutions to consumers related issues and ensure they have value for money through effective service delivery.

The NCC boss noted that the theme for the CTM was crafeully chosen to reflect one of the cardinal objectives of the commission of ensuring the rotection of telecom consumers from market exploitation and empowering them to make rational and informed decision when making choices of services.

He said: “Consumer education is identified by the commission as one of the most cost effective mechanism that provides and guarantees consumer protection. Besides serving as a pro-active way of protecting consumers from making wrong choices, it also serves as a preventive measure that protect consumers from being exploited and against fraud.”

Listing initiatives by the commission to that telecoms consumer is well protected, informed and educated (PIE mandate), the EVC said they include organizing outreach programmes across the country;

dissemination of consumer education via fact sheets; information dissemination via consumer web portal; interaction via social media like twitter and Facebook; responding to enquires via the NCC centre on the 622 toll free number; and participating on radio programmes that educate consumers on their rights and privileges.

He further highlighted service providers responsibilities to consumer to help them make informed decision on products and services to include communicate information to consumers in a plain and simple language; ensure that information provided to consumers is relevant, current, accurate and timely; ensure that consumers can reliably and easily have access to information that can assist them in making an informed choice; and give consumers the choice of receiving information in a language they can understand.

In his keynote address, the chief executive of Wheel of Hope Consumer Advocacy, Jide Abdulazeez, stated that it is a known fact that consumer determine the market, saying, therefore, protection of the consumers is tantamount to market expansion, sustainability and protection, adding that a protected market is a sustainable market which will ensure revenue generation for the service providers, stressing that operators in the telecom industry should, therefore, always go for what is in the best interest of the consumers.

“It is important for consumers to get good quality service, value for money spent on telecommunication services, timely and fair redress of complaints and protection from unwholesome practices of service providers to raise the tempo of consumer education in the country in order to guarantee telecommunication consumers enough protection against fraudulent, misleading and deceitful information advertisement or labelling.

Speaking to journalist on the sideline of the event, the “Face of the Consumer” brand ambassador, Ali Nuhu, noted that the NCC Year of the Telecom Consumer campaign has made significant impact in educating and empowering the consumer as king in the telecom sector, adding that enlisting campaign ambassadors has played its part in pushing the campaign.

He said: “Aside from speaking in Lingua Franca, we normally step down in our local language just so people will understand the version. We’re trying to educate and inform the people because if we don’t step down to their local language there are some people that may not understand and I think the aim is defeated if we don’t do that. It is part of our responsibility as ambassadors. It is our way to interact with the people and make them understand the information the NCC is trying to pass to them.”