Under my watch, NCC will be an enabler for increased investments in telecoms sector — Maida

…Identifies improvement in quality of service as priority for NCC

The Executive Vice Chairman/ CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida has declared that under his watch, the telecoms regulator will be repositioned to be an enabler for increased investments in the telecoms sector.

Speaking at an interactive meeting with top Media Executives in Lagos, the NCC EVC commended his predecessors for their contributions in advancing the telecoms industry.

He noted that previous administration’s had established the telecoms industry and now it is time to make the sector contribute even more to economic growth under the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The NCC EVC also seized the occasion to unveil key drivers for the telecoms industry as he marked his first 100 days in office following his appointment as the new boss of the nation’s telecom regulatory body.

Maida also committed to driving a good total customer experience for telecoms consumers in the country.
He disclosed that he used the last 3 months for observation, fact findings, and engaging key stakeholders, pointing out that the regulator “should be felt and not seen.”

Maida said the commission would work with the blueprint of the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, unveiled by the Minister, Bosun Tijani, saying all efforts will be deployed to ensure that the sector contributes more, especially in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to the economy, job creation and more revenue to the government, adding that he would need the support of the media to be able to achieve that.

According to him, one of the key things “we have to recognise is that within the digital economy space the NCC plays a very huge role, because the communications infrastructure especially in this digital age is the backbone of the digital economy and of course the backbone of any nation noting that today when one talks about dispute and conflict between countries you cannot doing without mentioning cyber wars.”

He disclosed that the NCC, under his watch, will focus on key areas, such as collaboration, Data centric administration, compliance and monitoring and digitisation, working closely with the three major stakeholders in the industry namely the Operators, government and the consumer.

According to Maida, the consumers are the major stakeholders that the NCC would be addressing their needs, promising to end the era of telecom subscribers carrying multiple phones or having multiple SIM cards, by ensuring good QoS, empowering them to make the right choices while at the same time making the tariff very simple and transparent for the consumers. He added that the NCC will carry out enlightenment campaigns to ensure consumers understand and have good services.

Noting that it has become necessary to reposition the sector and push it forward, the NCC helmsman said that going forward, telecommunications sector licensees will be held more accountable for all their deeds in the sector.
Maida said the commission would hold all industry licensees accountable for all their deeds in the sector, stressing that operators must honour agreements.

The NCC, he said, is also working on reviewing the standard of operations for the telecoms operators to ensure corporate governance and international best practices from the operators adding that the Commission would also be doing more advocacy and will be very concerned about compliance.

“Everybody including industry licensees in the value chain shall be held accountable. Regulations will come in and there will be consequences,” he stated.