The Nigerian Communications Commission has restated it s commitment to the consumers of telecom services, stressing that, “Consumers are the most important part of any business, and their protection is of utmost importance.”
The Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Aminu Maida, made this statement on Friday in commemoration of the 2024 World Consumer Rights Day.
Dr. Maida further stated that, “the Commission is affirming that the theme of this year will be an integral part of its’ activities considering that AI is a force that is shaping our future in profound ways.
“It holds incredible potential to improve our lives, but it also challenges us to think critically about how we harness this power responsibly.
“Our continuous resolve to Protect, Inform and Educate (PIE Mandate) the telecom consumer is unwavering, particularly as AI technologies continue to advance there is need foster innovation while safeguarding fundamental rights, values, and dignity of consumers.
March 15th of every year has been set aside as World Consumer Rights Day to raise awareness about the rights of consumers worldwide and protect them from unfair trade practices. The theme for this year’s celebration is “Fair and Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the Consumer”
Tracing the history of World Consumer Rights Day and the priority attention the Commission accords it, he said, “The history of World Consumer Rights Day dates back to 1962 with the introduction of four basic consumer rights by President John F. Kennedy in his speech to the US Congress. These rights included the right to safety, the right to be informed, the right to choose, the right to be heard.
“Consistent with the above, the Commission has over the years kept faith with this date to highlight the important position the telecom consumers occupy in the telecommunications ecosystem in Nigeria, in order to uphold the rights of consumer which have evolved over the years with additional new consumer rights like the right to privacy, the right to quality of service, the right to timely redress, right to action on disputed charges, right to fair complaint process and right to accurate billing.
The EVC used the opportunity to list some of the initiatives by the commission as a testimonial of its consumercentric credentials.
“With the Commission’s special interest and commitment to Consumer Protection, we have proactively put in place consumer-centric initiatives to deal with first level complaints by the telecom consumer”, Dr. Maida stated.
“These initiatives include the Consumer Complaints Management (CCM), through which various channels of lodging complaints were created, the NCC Toll-free line 622 available between 8:00am to 8:00pm daily except on Sundays and Public Holidays, the Do-Not-Disturb (DND) Code 2442, for stopping unsolicited messages, the Consumer Portal-http://consumer.ncc.gov.ng, and the Commission Consumer X account @Consumersncc.
“Other initiatives include the Telecom Consumer Assistance, Resolution and Enquiries (TELCARE), at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, an additional platform to enhance awareness of the Commission’s activities, make enquiries on consumer complaints and also for advocacy on any thematic telecom issues or concern. Also not to overlook the most recent, the Harmonized Short Codes initiative which enables consumers to use the same codes to access services across all networks.
“Recall that one major focus area of the strategic roadmap of the Nigerian Communications Commission’s current Management is the Consumer.