Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, on Wednesday said more than one million consumers activated the 2442 Do-Not-Disturb code within two months.
Danbatta made this known during the Lagos Launch of 2017 as Year of the Nigerian Telecom Consumer.
He said that the response of the consumers came after the initial slow uptake of the code to resolve their problems.
According to him, two months ago (March 15), NCC flagged off a national campaign of the Year of the Nigerian Telecom Consumer at its Headquarters in Abuja.
“Sixty days hence, I am glad, we can report some progress resulting in increase in the activation of the Do-Not-Disturb short code, using the 2442 facility, by more than one million consumers in this short span.
“More subscribers reported their unresolved complaints using NCC’s 622 toll-free lines in the same period.
“NCC Consumer Conversations are going on simultaneously every month in six zones across the country.
“When the year is ended, the NCC should be able to measure the success and impact of this initiative by the level of awareness created among consumers and the number of consumers that have activated the 2442 facility.
“It is my hope that the Nigerian telecommunications consumer would consistently get the right quality experience and value for money,” he said.
Danbatta said that the Year 2017 had been dedicated to the Nigerian telecommunications consumers.
He said that following a management decision, NCC was compelled to seek to amplify the year’s activities toward ensuring that the consumer enjoys a customer experience that is enhanced and consistent in time and quality.
According to him, in 2017, and even beyond, the consumer will be NCC’s focus, as it intends to inform and educate the consumer with the sole intent of protecting and empowering them to make the right decisions.
“Today’s event emphasises the position of Lagos state as the telecommunications hub of Nigeria.
“The Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in its first quarter telecommunications sector report for 2016 placed Lagos voice subscriber base at 19.04 million or 12.8 per cent of the country’s subscribers and 12.62 million internet subscription or 13.65 per cent.
“The state is home to many of the key players in the telecommunications sector, so it is understandable why it has been selected as the flag-off city after the major event in Abuja on March 15, 2017.
“The NCC 2017 Year of the Nigerian Telecom Consumer is remarkable because the Nigerian telecommunications consumer is center stage.
“We must also remember that these consumers together have made all the success stories we speak about possible in the telecommunications industry today,” he said.
Danbatta said that as a regulator, NCC had the mandate to ensure all its key stakeholders were protected.
He added that NCC had the mandate to ensure that their interests were balanced in an atmosphere of fairness, transparency and within the framework of the NCA 2003 and other subsidiary legislation.
The Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management, NCC, Mr Sunday Dare said that Year of the Consumer initiative was derivative of the 8-Point Agenda of the present NCC Management.
Dare said that the initiative was leveraging on the two key components of Improving Quality of Service (QoS); and Informing and Empowering Consumers.
He said that the telecommunications consumer embraced the various stakeholders NCC was mandated by the NCA 2003 to protect, inform and educate.
According to him, already, NCC has deployed several activities in its strategic plan to run a successful year of the consumer campaign with the support of the operators.
“Our goal is to make the consumer experience of the average Nigerian better.
“The drivers of the NCC 2017 Year of the Nigerian Telecom Consumer are the 2442 Do-Not-Disturb Service Code, the 622 toll free complaints line, Quality of Service, QoS and concerns about the Electromagnetic Field, EMF radiation.
“These are the areas the information provided in the course of the campaign would focus on,” he said.
The Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, said that the State was interested in the welfare and happiness of its people.
Obasa, represented by a member of the house, Mr Tunde Braimoh, said that the services rendered by the operators to the consumers should be relevant and make them satisfied.
He commended the NCC for ensuring that the industry benefited all.
“If there is no regulator, we will not have the quality of service we have today, but there is need for improvement,” Obasa said. (NAN)