Business
By Anthony Isibor
THE Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, says that Nigeria alone accounts for 132 million connections out of over 5 billion internet users globally as noted by DataReportal.
“This shows that Nigerians spend an average of 4 hours and 20 minutes on social media daily, far above the global average.“
Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, made this known at the 93rd Telecoms Consumer Parliament on Friday.
According to him, this underscores how deeply digital interactions have become embedded in our lives.
He also disclosed that Nigeria’s daily data usage in 2024 averaged 336 gigabytes per second, marking a 39% increase from the previous year—a clear indication of the data-driven lifestyle many Nigerians lead.
He noted that this makes it imperative to ensure transparent data usage and billing system which also underscores the commissions Strategic Vision of meeting the expectations of stakeholders: the Consumers, the Industry/Licensees, and the government.
“To achieve this, our focus has evolved from simply demanding quality service to ensuring a holistic Quality of Experience throughout the telecom consumer’s lifecycle—from SIM registration to usage and even service disposal. Our goal is for consumers to be consistently satisfied with telecom services.
“Over the past months our data analysis has shown that quality service delivery is not solely the responsibility of Mobile Network Operators; it requires collaboration across the value chain. Key stakeholders, such as TowerCos, which provide power and shared infrastructure, as well as those providing essential backhaul services, whether by fibre, microwave or even satellite, connecting base stations to the core networks of MNOs, all play crucial roles in ensuring high-quality telecom services.
“In recognition of this, the Commission has revised its guidelines to include provisions that hold each player in the value chain accountable for quality service.
“While the Commission remains committed to these goals, the industry also faces challenges such as vandalism and theft of telecom assets, which frustrate operators’ efforts to deliver quality telecom services. In July, through NCC’s advocacy and collaboration with key stakeholders, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed a Presidential Order designating telecom infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure. This Executive Order strengthens our ability to address issues of vandalism, tampering, and unauthorized access to telecom infrastructure.
“We cannot also ignore the effect of current macroeconomic challenges and the rising cost of business in the country which is impacting the ability of operators to make the necessary investments in the sector.
“The Commission is mindful of this and is actively working with other arms of government and stakeholders to address these issues and ensure the industry’s sustainability.
“The Commission is finalizing our Major Incident Reporting Guidelines, which will require operators to inform consumers of major incidents impacting their networks, with these reports also accessible on our website.”
Maida also urged consumers to expect coverage maps detailing operators’ network strength across the country.
These maps, according to him, will indicate coverage gaps, service quality and signal strength, allowing consumers to make more informed choices when selecting an operator.
“As we deliberate at this Parliament on ways to optimize the data experience for telecom consumers, let us remember that our goal is to create a truly consumer-centric telecom industry, in which consumers feel valued, informed, empowered, and satisfied with the services they receive. As Speaker of this Parliament, I want to affirm that this occasion is a platform for open and honest dialogue—a space where consumers can speak and be heard. Our conversations here will be integral to ensuring that our consumers receive optimal Quality of Experience from the industry. With sustained commitment, we can build an ecosystem where every Nigerian enjoys the benefits of world-class telecommunications services,” he added.
A.I
Nov. 9, 2024
Tags: Aminu Maida Executive Vice Chairman of NCC
