2021 TTTR: Sustainable engagement key to tackling challenges in Nigerian telecoms industry ─Danbatta

*The Nigerian Communications Commission notes the 2021 Talk to The Regulator (TTTR) forum was designed to get direct feedbacks from licensees to enable them in meeting their  expectations towards ensuring good Quality of Service and Quality of Experience for telecoms consumers

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

In emphasising the strategic importance of stakeholder engagement, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has said that continuous dialogues between the regulator and various telecoms licensees are central to finding lasting solutions to issues negatively affecting compliance.

ConsumerConnect reports Prof. Danbatta noted that such constant engagement with stakeholders would enable the licensees to comply with extant regulations, and address challenges affecting the development of the telecoms industry.

Barr. Adeleke Adewolu, Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management at NCC, delivering Prof. Danbatta’s address at the Commission’s 2021 TTTR in Lagos 

Danbatta stated this during the recent second edition of NCC’s 2021 Talk to The Regulator (TTTR) forum held at Four Points by Sheraton, in Lagos, with the theme, “Improving Stakeholders Satisfaction”.

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Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Director of Public Affairs, stated that the Lagos edition of the programme followed the successful hosting of a similar dialogue October 16, 2021, in Kano, Northern Nigeria.

According to Dr. Adinde, the objective of the forum is to get direct feedbacks from licensees on how the Commission, as a regulator, is meeting licensees’ expectations in the country.

The NCC also noted that the programme was designed to identify areas for regulatory improvement, highlight areas where licensees are defaulting as well as address critical industry challenges undermining full accomplishment of the set objectives for consolidating the gains in the telecoms sector.

Represented at the forum by Barr. Adeleke Adewolu, Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management at NCC, the EVC/CEO also stated that forum is orgainsed in keeping with the Commission’s commitment to ensuring continually, regulator-licensee interactions to develop collaborative solutions and implementation programmes to the challenges of the telecoms ecosystem.

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Danbatta said: “The Nigerian Communications Act (NCA, 2003) invests the NCC with powers and responsibilities for the regulation of both the technical and market-related aspects of telecoms infrastructure and services in Nigeria.

“We consider our role as regulator very vital to ensuring industry sustainability, because NCC considers consultation as the lifeblood of regulation.”

A group photograph with Barr. Adeleke Adewolu (4th from left) at the Commission’s 2021 TTTR in Lagos 

He further noted: “We have consistently deployed stakeholder engagement tools like public enquiries, private investigations, written information requests, one-on-one discussions as we are having it now and diverse consumer engagement platforms.

“These tools enable us to ensure that our interventions are well-grounded, and that our decisions are based on a clear understanding of stakeholders’ perspectives”.

Stakeholder engagement and application of regulatory frameworks

The NCC EVC/CEO said the foregoing fit squarely within the five pillars of the Commission’s Strategic Management Plan (2020-2024), which include Regulatory Excellence, Promotion of Universal Broadband Access, the Development of the Digital Economy, Facilitation of Market Development, and Strategic Partnering.

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“Through regular interactions with our licensees, the Commission is able to gain valuable insights to enhance our regulatory output and enabled us to drive excellence in consonance with the five pillars of our strategic vision for the industry as streamlined in the Commission’s Strategic Vision Plan (SVP), 2021-2025,” Danbatta said.

He also reinforced the Commission’s belief that only through optional performance by the licensees will Nigeria be able to achieve the national objectives and targets in the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020-2030, the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NNBP), 2020-2025 and other national policy instruments targeted at developing the nation’s digital economy ecosystem.

According to Danbatta, in view of this, the Commission is, “therefore, we intend to use this forum to seek support for many initiatives that the commission has carefully developed in our quest to enhance market opportunities for all our licensees.”

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He as well emphasised NCC’s faith in collaboration with stakeholders and its licensees in order to address any concerns that may impede the attainment of the relevant policy objectives.

The Commission will continue to roll out forward-thinking and all-inclusive regulatory initiatives to provide market opportunities for all its licensees, he said.

Besides, Danbatta restated that NCC is also committed to constantly reviewing licensing framework as well as key regulatory instruments in order to refresh the Commission’s regulatory frameworks and ensure better service delivery for consumers and efficient attainment of other national interest objectives.

However, Danbatta observed that some licensees are not doing as much as they ought to be doing.

The NCC EVC/CEO also said: “Several licensees are struggling to pay their staff, many are unable to comply with basic licence obligations, some are defaulting in the payment of their Annual Operating Levies (AOL) while the level of interconnect and other inter-licensee indebtedness is still unacceptably high.

“Therefore, we are required to ensure regulatory interventions are put in place to address challenges, bottlenecks and grievances that may arise among the licensees in this regard,” he said.

Also addressing the gathering, Mohammed Babajika, Director of Licensing and Authorisation at NCC, said the TTTR forum was intended to foster a harmonious relationship with licensees, identify their challenges and provide feedback on licensees’ fulfilment of their licence obligations and to re-emphasise the role of licensees in ensuring good Quality of Service (QoS) and Quality of Experience (QoE) for the consumers.

While intimating the licensees with some regulatory initiatives focused on licensing issues, Babajika said despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and its resultant challenges, the Commission was taking measures to further liberalise the telecoms industry by finalising the framework for Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) while also reviewing existing licensing regulations.

NCC concluding work on Information Memorandum for 5G technology deployment

The NCC Director of Licensing and Authorisation also informed the licensees that the Commission was finalising work on Information Memorandum (IM) for Fifth Generation (5G) technology deployment.

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According to him, this regulatory document will help in promoting emerging technology trends, such as Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Over-The-Top (OTT) Services, Big Data Analytics and Blockchain among others.

At the event, the Management staff of the Commission made presentations to the licensees and others, who participated actively through listening, making observations and suggestions, as well as seeking clarifications to improve the quality of discourse and the expected outcomes.

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