Telecoms Consumer Handbook designed to enhance consumer education, protection, says NCC

*The Nigerian Communications Commission says the new Consumer Handbook, produced in collaboration with Industry Consumers Advisory Forum (ICAF), is a collection of consumer information materials designed to enhance consumer education and protection in the country

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

In a bid to further to enhance consumer education and protection in the country, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has unveiled a new Consumer Handbook.

The Commission produced the Telecoms guidebook, which is a compendium of consumer information materials put together to enhance consumer education and protection in partnership with the Industry Consumers Advisory Forum (ICAF),

Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice-Chairman (EVC)/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NCC unveiled the Telecoms Consumer Handbook at a World Press Conference in commemoration of the 2021 World Consumer Rights Day (WCRD), held virtually March 15, in Abuja, FCT.

Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Director of Public Affairs at NCC, in a statement quoted Prof. Danbatta as saying that the Commission will finalise work on electronic waste (e-waste) regulations as soon as it concludes consultations with relevant stakeholders on the draft regulations.

The statement noted that the new Consumer Handbook, produced by the NCC in collaboration with the Industry Consumers Advisory Forum (ICAF), is a collection of consumer information materials produced to enhance consumer education and protection in Nigeria.

While addressing the theme of the WCRD 2021, “Tackling Plastic Pollution,” within the context of NCC’s activities in the country, the NCC EVC/CEO said the Commission had drafted the Nigerian Communications Industry E-Waste Regulations in 2018 with the objective to manage e-waste.

The new regulation aims to promote reuse, recycling and other forms of recovery; improve environmental management system of operators in the telecom industry; and reduce greenhouse emissions as well as enhance sustainable development efforts, said Danbatta.

According to the EVC, as the NCC is concluding plans to issue the regulation on e-waste, it is mindful of the fact that many Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and telecom devices have substantial plastic components, whose waste materials could worsen plastic pollution.

He said: “In other words, we reckon that improper disposal of such disused ICT-plastic embedded products have grave implications on public health, and especially in achieving Goals 11, 12 and 13 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030.

“These goals speak to the imperative of adhering to practices that enhance Sustainable Cities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production; as well as Climate Action respectively.”

Danbatta stated: “Our efforts on tackling electronic waste in Nigeria and some other proactive regulatory initiatives of the Commission tell the story of a shared vision for a satisfied consumer.”

He disclosed the NCC’s collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and other relevant government agencies to inaugurate a committee to implement Mobile Devices Management Systems (DMS).

This initiative, he noted, is designed as a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) aimed at combating the proliferation of fake, counterfeit, substandard and cloned communication devices in the telecommunications industry.

The expected result of the initiative is that, only genuine materials malleable to enduring usage are available for consumer use, stated Danbatta.

The statement added that the NCC would explore avenues for strategic collaboration with relevant government agencies to ensure a coordinated approach to the challenges of sub-standard equipment and e-waste in the country.