The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced its intention to prosecute telemarketers who unlawfully obtain the telephone numbers of telecom subscribers for commercial purposes.
In response to claims that these telemarketers obtain telecom consumers’ phone numbers from the commission, the NCC clarified that this assertion is false.
The NCC issued a public notice titled “Unauthorized Use of Telecom Subscribers’ Phone Numbers and Other Personal Information by Telemarketers,” which was signed by Professor Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC.
The commission emphasized that it strictly adheres to the principles and regulations governing the protection of consumers’ privacy in telecommunications services. It reiterated that no service provider or telemarketer is authorized to access, collect, or use subscriber data in any manner without the explicit consent of the consumer, except when allowed by law.
The statement from the NCC read, “The protection of the data of telecom subscribers by the Commission is guaranteed in Section 35 (1) of the Consumer Code of Practice Regulations, 2007; Section 9 (1) of the Nigerian Communications (Registration of Communications Subscribers) Regulations, 2022; and Section 4.2 (a) & (b) of the NCC’s Internet Code of Practice.
“Therefore, any telemarketer involved in harvesting telecom subscribers’ phone numbers and other personal details through dishonest means and using such for commercial purposes without regulatory approval is hereby strongly warned to desist from his illegal act, as anyone found guilty shall be arrested and prosecuted in keeping with the law.”
The NCC encouraged telecom consumers to activate the Do-Not-Disturb (DND) short code introduced by the commission to manage their subscription to Value Added Services. This service allows subscribers to stop unsolicited text messages and other telemarketing offers by sending “STOP” to 2442 Short Code for FULL DND.
Furthermore, the NCC urged telecom consumers to report any illegal activities by telemarketers to the commission by calling the NCC Toll-Free Number 622. Such reports will lead to necessary enforcement actions.
The Nigerian Telecommunications Commission (NCC) revealed on Thursday that Nigeria holds the eleventh position worldwide in terms of Internet penetration and is ranked seventh globally for mobile phone usage. The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, made this announcement during the inauguration of a two-day Emerging Technology Forum for the Telecommunications Industry held in Abuja.
Speaking through Abraham Oshadami, the Head of Spectrum Database Management at NCC, Prof. Danbatta shared that data collected worldwide by the Network Readiness Index (NRI) team underscored the importance of digital transformation to leverage the social and economic benefits of the digital age. The NRI assessed the performance of 131 economies across categories such as technology infrastructure, governance, people, and impact.
Prof. Danbatta highlighted Nigeria’s position as a telecommunications powerhouse, responsible for 82% of the continent’s telecom subscribers and 29% of its internet consumption. He noted that Nigeria ranks eleventh in global Internet penetration and seventh in terms of mobile phone usage.
While these achievements are noteworthy, Prof. Danbatta acknowledged that Nigeria’s NRI ranking for 2022, placing 109th out of 131 countries, is both humbling and motivating. He stressed that prioritizing network readiness is not just a strategic necessity but a mission, especially considering its role in the country’s social and economic development.
He also recognized the dual nature of digital transformation, acknowledging that while it has the potential to create new inequalities, it also serves as a powerful tool to achieve more with fewer resources across different income levels. Prof. Danbatta concluded by emphasizing the importance of metrics in guiding informed policy-making as formal education continues to evolve in response to technological advancements.
The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, has invited international telecom companies and potential investors to take advantage of the opportunities presented by Nigeria’s population of over 200 million people to invest in its telecom sector, especially in infrastructure provisioning for broadband.
Danbatta, who spoke at the inaugural edition of the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) 2023, which ended in Marrakesh, Morocco recently, said Nigeria presents a stable political and economic conditions.
Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Nigeria’s Ambassador to Morocco, Mansur Bamalli, also spoke in the same direction and commended the Commission for its regulatory prowess which has made Nigeria the next investment destination in Africa.
Danbatta, who was represented at the conference by the Team Lead, Nigeria Office for Developing the Indigenous Telecom Sector (NODITS), Babagana Digima, said the Commission has a mandate to facilitate the development of the telecom industry in Nigeria, adding that one way through which this can be done is by attracting foreign investors that will further enhance the growth of the economy.
He informed the global stakeholders at the event that Nigerian government has been very supportive of the telecom industry which has achieved an upward growth with over 220 million active mobile voice subscriptions in Nigeria, over 150 million Internet subscriptions and broadband penetration of 48 per cent, the country is yet to be fully connected.
“Our national plan is to achieve 70 per cent broadband penetration by 2025. We still have less than 50 per cent penetration. This means there is huge investment potential for investors. Nigeria’s telecom sector needs more investment in the area of infrastructure deployment,” the EVC stated.
He stated that the telecom sector in Nigeria has become a major contributor to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), quarter-on-quarter, driving the growth of digital economy in the country.
“The importance of this event for us as a Commission is to showcase the NCC as a Nigerian brand, a foremost telecom regulator in Africa and beyond and to bring about the much-needed investment that will enhance development of the Nigerian telecom industry,” Danbatta said.
The EVC stated that there is abundant talents in Nigeria that can be tapped by investors to support their business operations. “There is abundant human resources waiting to be harnessed by potential investors for ground-breaking global technological innovations and advancement in providing digital solutions.
“This event provides us with the platform to showcase some of the talents that we have discovered in Nigeria. The Commission has sponsored three indigenous start-ups that are at this event to display their solutions for prospective investors and partnerships,” he said.
The GITEX Africa 2023 was the maiden edition of GITEX Global Summit held in Africa. It is poised to be Africa’s most influential forum to accentuate the vast potential of tech-driven digital economy. It aims to be an international platform for cutting-edge technology for all players from both public and private sectors.
The Association of Public Procurement Practitioners of Nigeria (APPON) has conferred the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, with the “Excellent Service Delivery and Accountability Award”.
The award was in recognition of Danbatta’s outstanding performance and contribution to the canons of the public procurement profession in Nigeria by ensuring that the NCC complies strictly with the provisions of the Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2007.
He received the award at the 3rd Annual National Conference and Awards Ceremony organized by the APPON in Lagos recently.
Danbatta was adjudged to have led an NCC that is transparent and open and compliant with the provisions of public procurement as enshrined in applicable laws of the land.
In his remark, APPON National President, Akparawa Kanico, congratulated the EVC for his remarkable leadership and ability to inspire everyone around him towards ensuring effective procurement process in the Commission.
He stated that the leadership finesse and administrative prowess of Danbatta have reflected in the impressive growth that the telecoms sector has witnessed in being an enabler of growth in other sectors of the economy and the national economy as a whole.
Responding, the Danbatta appreciated the organisers of the Awards for the recognition while describing it as ‘a great motivation to him and the Commission to be more transparent, open and process-driven in its procurement activities.’
Meanwhile, speaking on the topic: “Implementation of e-procurement in Nigeria: Prospects and Challenges” at the event, Danbatta said broadband connectivity, being driven by the Federal Government, through the Commission, will enhance electronic procurement (e-procurement) that will ensure greater accountability and transparency in governance process in Nigeria.
He stressed that e-procurement was the way to go and that the Commission will continue to create the enabling environment required for e-procurement to thrive through NCC’s dedicated commitment to driving the attainment of ubiquitous broadband connectivity across Nigeria.
Danbatta said Nigeria’s investment in broadband infrastructure is yielding substantial benefits for the country’s e-procurement sector, revolutionizing the way businesses engage in procurement processes, especially Government-to-Business (G2B) and other e-government activities.
“With the new administration in the country making broadband connectivity an outstanding pillar in its policy thrust, the Commission would continue to focus on improving broadband infrastructure to change the landscape of procurement governance, and help to unlock new possibilities for businesses and public institutions.
“With improved Internet connectivity, businesses across the country now have faster and more reliable access to e-procurement platforms, enabling them submit proposals, monitor tender opportunities in real time, and participate in online bidding process,” he said.
At the event, two members of staff of the Commission were inducted as APPON Fellows. They are Adejoke Atte, NCC’s Head of Procurement Department and a Principal Manager in the department, Bernard Kwembeh.
Since the establishment of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), it has been consistent in deepening and protecting the rights of consumers.
Indeed, one of the core mandates of the NCC is to protect the rights of telecom consumers in Nigeria.
The protection of the rights is enshrined in Chapter VII of the NCC Act (NCA 2003), that gave legality to the Consumer Affairs Bureau, a key department of the NCC.
At an interactive session recently in Abuja, Prof. Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, enumerated the efforts of the commission in the protection of the rights of telecom consumers.
Danbatta who was appointed NCC Executive Vice Chairman in November 2015 , and reappointed by President Muhammadu Buhari in June 2020 and confirmed by the Senate on July 21, 2020, reiterated the commitment of NCC to protect Nigeria’s telecom consumers.
“The consumer is king; hence our consumer-centric regulatory initiatives to ensure consumer protection; information and education have continued to top our agenda.
“To further empower consumers, in 2016 we introduced the Do-Not-Disturb (DND) 2442 Short Code, which gave consumers the power to opt-in or out of unsolicited messages on their respective networks.’’
The executive vice chairman said that it was because of the importance attached to consumer protection that the NCC declared 2017 as “ The Year of the Consumer,’’ and set out with various projects to bring telecom consumers closer to the commission and their various network operators.
“The commission also upgraded the NCC-Free number 522 as secondary complaints mechanism to further empower and resolve consumer complaints.
“We also issued directives on data roll-over and another on forceful subscription of data services and value-added services (VAS).
“The two directives have ensured effective protection of telecom consumers, Danbatta said.
He recalled that in 2019, the commission revised the NCC Consumer Complaints and Services Legal Agreement (CC/SLAs) with the operators in order to ensure prompt response to consumer complaints, and also reviewed the Consumer Code of Practice Regulations at a Public Inquiry.
“We initiated the Mobile Services Management Systems, in collaboration with other agencies aimed at protecting consumers from the negative effect of substandard devices on the networks and the health of telecom consumers.
“The Mobile Services Management Systems project, when fully implemented, will help in combating the proliferation of fake, counterfeit and cloned communication devices in the telecommunications industry.
“Similarly, we have developed regulations on E-Waste,’’ Danbatta added.
According to him, the regulations will ensure that we are also able to rid our environment of indiscriminate disposal of malfunctioning and disused gadgets, which are capable of posing health risks to consumers.
“I also need to mention our commitment in protecting the lives and property of telecom consumers by getting rid of improperly registered Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards. We conduct periodic audit of the networks to ensure the MNOs do not harbour improperly registered SIM cards on their networks any further,’’ he emphasised.
Danbatta announced that 19 Emergency Communications Centres (ECC) have been activated across the country.
“ The 112 national emergency number allows Nigerians in distress to get help in emergencies.
“The 112 number has become a major channel of communication during this COVID-19 period as over 1,200 COVID-19 related calls were made to the 112 national emergency toll free number between March and June 2020 from the various ECCs across the country.
When Danbatta spoke at the 2017 Lagos International Trade Fair and Exhibition, he reiterated the commitment of the commission in its fight against the abuse of customers’ rights and privileges.
He emphasised that consumers of telecommunications services deserved to get value for their money and be treated as very important stakeholders in the scheme of things as far as service delivery is concerned.
Danbatta maintained that his administration is fighting to protect consumers from unfair practices through availability of information and education to make informed choices in the use of ICT services.
“Our objective is to engage, empower, educate and inform the consumers about their rights and responsibilities, opportunities and solutions that are available in the industry.
“The essence of this is to reassure the consumers that the issue of protecting them from unfair practices is no mere talk.
“We have put the service providers on special notice about our current monitoring of user experience on issues of poor reception, wrong billings and deductions, automatic roll over among other issues, and if they fail to improve services to the detriment of the consumers, will face appropriate regulatory actions and sanctions,” he said.
The performance of NCC has not gone unnoticed, as Yahaya Garba, Commissioner for Federal Capital Territory of the Public Complaints Commission (PCC), during a visit in July 2019 to NCC headquarters in Abuja, commended the commission for effective protection of telecom consumers’ rights.
“For us at PCC, we would like to commend the NCC in recognition of its efforts in implementing the National Telecommunications Policy, regulating the telecom sector and protecting the rights of consumers and operating companies alike,” he said during the visit.
Garba particularly stated that PCC initiated the visit to get familiarized with the NCC’s functions and operations with regards to telecom consumer protection, deepen areas of collaboration and solicit ICT capacity building for PCC staff by the telecom regulator.
The NCC Executive Vice Chairman Danbatta, emerged the winner of the 2019 Zik Prize, in the professional leadership category.
Prof. Pat Utomi, member, Advisory Board of the Award, via a webinar on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020, said that Danbatta and Mr Kennedy Uzoka, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of United Bank for Africa (UBA) are the winners in that category.
“Prof Umar Garba Danbatta is a square peg in a square hole. An academic professor, Danbatta has, through the NCC, led the charge to drive Nigeria’s industrial revolution and knowledge-based economy leveraging telecommunications,” he explained.
According to Prof. Utomi, telecom contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Nigeria has grown by 70 per cent from 2015 to 2020, whilst broadband penetration has leaped from 8 per cent to 42 per cent, in the same period.
“His leadership has enhanced transparency and innovation in the sector, such that recently, NCC was acknowledged by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), as one of Africa’s foremost regulator,” he observed.
In a letter of nomination in July 2020, jointly signed by the Chairman of the Board, Sen. Jubril Aminu and Utomi, the NCC boss was described as “an outstanding public servant, whose initiatives and reforms had contributed to Information and Communications Technology (ICT) playing a leading role in the socio-economic development of Nigeria.”
Zik Prize was set up in 1994 in honour of Nigeria’s first President, late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe.
Besides deepening the protection of consumers’ rights, the NCC has also deepened the purse of the nation.
According to Danbatta, NCC remitted N362.34 billion into the Federal Government Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF), from 2015 to date.
Danbatta, who spoke at the interactive session, said that the revenue was realised through spectrum fees and operating surplus, which he noted helped to boost the revenue generation drive of the present administration.
Danbatta also said that NCC had continued to collaborate with academics to support the development of the innovative services and life-changing solutions with the use of information and communications technologies to promote indigenous content.
“ The commission has so far released N336.4 million as research grants to the academia and has endowed professional chairs in two Nigerian universities.
“More importantly, we have empowered the Nigerian youth by promoting their ingenuity and innovation in the development of locally-relevant technology solutions.
“ The latest of such was the 2020 NCC Virtual Hackathon, where we gave N9 million in grant to three top promising tech startups for solutions, aimed at addressing the impact of COVID-19 and diseases in thematic areas of health, community, productivity, economy and transportation.’’
Danbatta, however, restated the commitment of the NCC to continue to protect consumers and ensure they have value for their money, and appealed to consumers to report any infraction by mobile network operators to NCC
