*Ousman Bah, Gambian Minister for Communications and Digital Economy, has commended Nigeria’s giant strides in telecoms regulation and the development of the West African country’s telecoms industry as a reference point

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

Ousman Bah, Gambian Minister for Communications and Digital Economy, has stated that Nigeria’s giant strides in telecoms regulation are the reason that the country’s telecoms industry has become a reference point.

Bah, who led a Gambian delegation, including telecoms sector regulators on a courtesy visit to the Management of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), at the weekend in Abuja, FCT, said the visit was prompted by the success, which Nigeria has witnessed in the sector, and the need for The Gambia to toe the line of success.

Mr. Reuben Muoka, Director of Public Affairs at NCC, stated the visiting Gambian Minister said it is for this reason that the fellow West African country completed arrangements to establish an independent regulatory commission for its telecommunications industry like the NCC of Nigeria.

The Commission noted Bah said: “The current industry statistics is proof that Nigeria is achieving her goals of digitisation of its economy.”

He, therefore, sought the NCC’s advisory support and strategic collaboration to accelerate economic growth and improve efficiency in both countries and strengthen all sectors across the African continent.

Josephine Amuwa, Director of Legal and Regulatory Services at NCC, who received the Gambian delegation on behalf of Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of NCC, highlighted the impact of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003.

Amuwa said the NCA 2003 empowers the Commission to effectively activate its regulatory mandate, one of which is to create an enabling environment for competition among operators in the industry.

She stated part of the mandate is also the provision of qualitative and efficient telecommunications services throughout the country.

The NCC Director of Legal and Regulatory Services further spoke about the regulator’s role in ensuring that the mandate of the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) is accomplished.

According to her, this effort has led to the implementation of various programmes for the benefit of Nigerian consumers.

Amuwa said: “The USPF was also established by the NCA 2003 to ensure that services are extended into the rural communities to ensure that telecoms services are available in unserved and underserved areas, even in the urban areas, to meet government objectives.”

The NCC noted she also cited the consultative and collaborative approach to telecoms regulation as one of the factors for  successes the Commissions has recorded.

“The Commission adopts a participatory rule-making process where key players in the industry are invited to a public hearing for further deliberations to ensure that the stakeholders’ views are considered in establishing these regulatory guidelines,” she said.

Amuwa as well encouraged the delegation to visit the Commission’s Web site to study published regulatory guidelines on all necessary matters.

The regulatory guidelines give full effect to the provisions and administration of the NCA 2003, said the NCC Director of Legal and Regulatory Services.