*Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, Okukenu IV, the Alake of Egbaland, commends the Nigerian telecoms regulatory Commission, as Adeleke Adewolu, ECSM at NCC, leads a delegation on consumer sensitisation to Ogun State

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The Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, Okukenu IV, has applauded the regulatory strides of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in ensuring accelerated growth of telecommunications sector, thus making the sector a flagship enabler of Nigeria’s prosperity.

The telecoms regulatory Commission Friday, May 6, 2022, said the paramount traditional ruler gave the commendation when Adeleke Adewolu, Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management (ECSM), led a delegation of NCC staff to the state where the Commission organised the maiden edition of the Village Square Dialogue (VSD) in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

Cross-sections of participants in the consumer sensitisation programme

The Commission disclosed the VSD, a version of the Telecom Consumer Conversation (a strategic, multistakeholder consumer outreach programme of NCC), took place in the 92-year-old Centenary Hall, adjacent the Alake鈥檚 Palace.

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“The VSD is specially conceived by the NCC to interact with telecoms consumers at the grassroots for the purpose of sensitising telecoms consumers through information sharing, education and advocacy on telecommunications-related issues.

“Importantly, the forum provides opportunity for telecom consumers in the rural areas to make contributions to the governance process of the telecom ecosystem, and to equally engage their service providers to resolve complaints,” stated the NCC.

The telecoms sector regulator also noted Oba Gbadebo, the Royal Father of the Day at the event, was represented by Chief Samuel Tanimowo, Oluwo of Ake, Egbaland.

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The monarch said: 鈥淥ne of the public institutions, whose activities are felt by the generality of Nigerians in many positive ways is NCC, and the leadership of the Commission must be commended for its doggedness in ensuring that Nigerians enjoy the benefits of digital revolutions.鈥�

The traditional ruler, who described the NCC as a flagship public institution positively impacting lives of all Nigerians, also聽 commended Adewolu, an indigene of the state, for his positive representation of the people of Owu Kingdom, Ogun State, where he hails from.

Oba Gbadebo further stated: 鈥淲e also thank you and your entire Board and Management for bringing the first edition of the Village Square Dialogue to us in Ogun State.

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“This is a testament to how important you take our state, which has contributed tremendously to the socio-economic and political history of Nigeria.鈥�

The leading monarch’s assertion was underscored by Chief Oluwakemi Oloyede, the Iyaloja of Egbaland, who thanked the NCC for the sensitisation programme, which she said, had benefited not only the market women and men who attended the event but also the entire telecoms consumers present.

Need for protection of telecoms infrastructure

鈥淲e have listened to all you have told us as telecoms consumers, we would always recall the information when you have left us and we would also ensure that we take all measures possible to join hands in protecting telecom facilities in our vicinities for improved quality of service delivery. “From all indications, doing this is for our own benefits as consumers,鈥� Iyaloja Oloyede stated.

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Earlier in his welcome address, Adewolu, a former Honourable Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs in Ogun State, urged the community leaders and people of the ‘Gateway State’ to take ownership of telecommunications infrastructure in their localities and protect them from vandalism or theft.

The ECSM also said that Ogun State is central to telecoms growth in Nigeria in that it hosts one of the largest concentration of telecoms consumers in the country.

The NCC disclosed the state has an active subscriber base of over eight million users as of the Fourth Quarter of 2021, according to the data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).

鈥淭his huge subscriber base is supported by a dynamic ecosystem of service providers, dealers, marketers and innovators. “We are, therefore, here to host the maiden edition of the NCC-instituted Village Square Dialogue and to salute the legendary entrepreneurial spirit of the people of Ogun State. “On behalf of the Commission, I also thank you for the warm reception accorded us and the warmth traditionally accorded telecoms service providers to bolster infrastructure development,鈥� Adewolu said.

He also said that telecoms services had long been recognised as the easiest and cheapest means of meeting critical socio-economic needs such as education, financial inclusion, economic empowerment and deepening social interactions.

According to Adewolu, the infrastructure through which these services are provided are called the 鈥渋nfrastructure of infrastructures鈥� because they enable the digitisation and seamless connectivity of all other socio-economic sectors.

Adewolu emphasised “without telecoms infrastructure, we cannot communicate with friends and family over long distances at the touch of a button, and we cannot conduct banking, insurance, governmental services, education, entertainment and many other activities with ease without telecommunications.

“This means that telecoms infrastructure are critical to modern existence, and we must all do what we can to ensure that we tackle anything that affects their seamless operation.”

He said: 鈥淚ssues like hostile communities, the theft of diesel, batteries and power-generating sets, digging up fiber lines, sealing/locking-up of Base Transceiver Station (BTS) sites, and such other illegal activities must be tackled decisively by all of us.

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“I, therefore, urge you all to please see telecoms infrastructure as your own, and to protect them as communal property. “Anybody that tampers with telecoms infrastructure is tampering with your future and the future of your children 鈥� they should be resisted and reported.鈥�

Likewise, Mr. Efosa Idehen, Director of Consumer Affairs (DCA) of NCC, made a presentation elucidating on how the regulatory Commission protects the interests, rights and privileges of telecoms consumers in Nigeria.

The DCA stressed consumer obligations, especially in the area of telecoms infrastructure protection in order to ensure improved Quality of Service (QoS) and better Quality of Experience (QoE).

Telecoms contributions to consumers, economy

A Principal Manager in the Technical Standards and Network Integrity (TSNI) Department of NCC, Kunle Olorundare, also spoke on contributions of telecoms to the economy, mobile network development, the benefits of telecoms, network outages and their causes, and he enjoined consumers to protect telecoms infrastructure.

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鈥淏y protecting the infrastructure, you are protecting every service offered on the network. You are protecting your money (Mobile Banking), your Jobs (Recharge Card and Phone business), your children鈥檚 future (Learning on the Internet) and even your community (Social communication),鈥� Olorundare said to restate the centrality of telecommunications to individuals and businesses.

The NCC stated that the event was oversubscribed as the venue was filled to the brim with traditional rulers and other community leaders, market women and men, other telecoms consumers from all walks of life, and representatives of telecoms consumers and service providers. Also, over 90 percent of the forum’s communication was conducted in Yoruba language, which is spoken and understood by majority of the people in the environment, and also in Nigerian Pidgin.

According to the Commission, the choice of languages used at the forum enhanced comprehension and participation in the event, and bolstered the appreciation of the important role NCC plays in promoting the consolidation of the growth of the telecoms industry in the country.

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