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Nigeria: Telecom operators to face sanctions over poor service delivery

The Nigerian Communications Commission has read the riot act to telecom service providers, asking them to improve their quality of service or face regulatory sanctions. The Executive Vice-Chairman of the commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta, gave the warning on Friday at the NCC Day of the Abuja International Trade Fair.

A statement on Sunday by the commission said the EVC, who was represented at the event by the Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau, NCC, Felicia Onwuegbuchulam, said operators were expected to always improve their service for the over 175 million subscribers in the country. “Where a service provider continues to fail to improve services at the detriment of the consumers, the commission will apply appropriate regulatory actions and sanctions against such service provider,” Danbatta added.

According to him, protection of the consumers from unfair practices of service providers is central to its eight-point agenda. Meanwhile, the NCC has expressed concern over the use of telecommunications platforms to perpetrate cybercrime. Danbatta expressed the concern during the NCC Day at the Abuja International Trade Fair. Danbatta asked members of the public to refrain from opening unfamiliar email messages to avoid falling victim of cybercrime. He advised customers to ignore messages, purportedly from their banks, requesting for their personal information.

Danbatta said, “Another challenge that is on the commission’s front burner is the rising documented cases of cybercrime and e-fraud using telecommunications platforms. “The commission advises all our consumers not to open email that is unfamiliar and also note that banks will not request personal information over the Internet.” Punch

Pix: Telecom operators in Nigeria