The five years of the Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, Professor Umar Danbatta on the saddle as the Nigerian telecom regulator, has revealed a pattern of driving the telecommunications ecosystem via multi-stakeholdership.

The Commission has in the last five years ensured that all the stakeholders (Consumers, licenced telecom operators, original equipment manufacturers, telecom trade associations, Ministries, Departments and Agencies, regulatory agencies, etc.) within and outside the telecom industry are carried along in all the decisions made.

NGF and RoW reduction

Among the major multistakeholder approach taken was the Commission reaching out to the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) with the intervention of the Hon. Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami. State governors are now aligning their Right of Way charges to N145 as approved by the Federal Economic Council (FEC), reducing below N145 per linear of fibre laid by the operators in their states.

Other state governors pegged their RoW charges below the N145 set by the FEC while some state governors have totally waived RoW charges in their states.  All these are aimed at encouraging network operators to deploy telecoms/broadband infrastructure faster in their states with a view to deepening digital access.

Danbatta said “The Commission is hopeful that with the reduction in RoW, which will automatically result in reduction in capital expenditure (CAPEX) by the network operators, telecom companies will sooner or later reciprocate the gesture by making their services in particular, data services more affordable to Nigerians.

In the last five years, NCC has engaged key stakeholders, including government agencies and the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) in several consultations, which have helped to address the issues of multiple taxation, multiple regulations and minimum uniform Right of Way (RoW) charges, as well as address other issues impeding telecoms infrastructure deployment in some states. 

Ekiti, Imo, Plateau and Katsina States have complied with the National Economic Council (NEC) resolution, with Kwara State reducing RoW charges to N1 per linear meter of fibre, while Anambra and Kaduna States, waived the charge. Ogun State, also, waived 250km for Mainone to lay fibre in Ogun State.

Telecom infrastructure protection   

The NCC is working with the Nigeria Industrial Policy and Competiveness Advisory Council (Critical Infrastructure Sub Committee) under the auspices of the Vice President, Yemi Osibanjo GCON, on various initiatives towards improving Broadband Penetration.

Danbatta said to underscore the importance of the sector to the economy, in June 2020, the Federal Government designated telecoms facilities as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI). The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and all security agencies have since been notified of Mr. President’s directive to that effect.

He recalled that one of the issues presented to the Honourable Minister when he assumed office is the need to strengthen telecom infrastructure protection. “The Honourable Minister acted on this issue speedily by obtaining presidential approval directing Security Agencies to protect ICT and telecom facilities as critical national assets. It is pleasing that this action helped to safeguard telecom infrastructure for the greater role telecom has to play with the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

NCC and ONSA: Nipping call masking

In the wake of 2017, the Commission started receiving complaints about cases of call masking/call refiling and SIM boxing, which was an anti-competitive practice and a threat to national security. Working with the Office of the National security Adviser (ONSA), NCC took drastic actions to identify culprit licensees, sanctioned them accordingly and barred mobile numbers identified to have been involved in masked calling from their networks. It also went further to carry out a Proof of Concept (PoC) and MNOs have now developed technology solutions to prevent, detect and filter masked calls on their networks.

NCC, CBN cooperation

The Commission has continued to collaborate with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) which saved 9mobile Nigeria (Etisalat) from hostile takeover arising from the $1.2 billion loan default to a consortium of banks. This intervention said Nigeria’s fourth largest mobile network over 3,000 jobs.

Also, the NCC collaborating with CBN and the banks in the area of National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) saw the Mobile network Operators (MNOs) participate fully in the provision of mobile money services to help actualize the 80 per cent financial inclusion target of the Federal Government by the end of 2020.  NCC’s regulatory interventions in the area of issuance of Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) Short Code to banks and Other Financial Institutions (OFIs) have helped in deepening financial inclusion.

To further ensure fair play between the MNOs and the banks regarding applicable charges for USSD, the Commission in July 23, 2019, issued a Determination for USSD Pricing. The Determination defined a USSD session as 20 seconds, the price floor per USSD session is N1.63k, while the Price cap per USSD session is N4.89k.

However, the NCC has revised the USSD determination putting an end to a protracted dispute between MNOs and financial institutions on the applicable charges for USSD services and the method of billing. The Commission also determined that MNOs must not charge the consumers directly for the use of USSD channels for financial services in the form of end-user-billing. Rather, the transaction should be between the MNOs and the entity to which the service is provided (i.e. banks and OFIs). 

Moreover, the intervention of NCC made it possible for MTN, Airtel and 9mobile to be granted Payment System Bank (PSB) provisional licence to deepen financial inclusion.

Improving quality of service

On assumption of office in 2015, the Commission gave priority to Quality of Service and observed that two prominent factors identified as “technical” and “non-technical” were impacting its delivery. “We took steps to address the issues by constituting an Industry working group on QoS, Short codes and Multiple Taxation; Deployment of QoS and Spectrum Tools, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Colocation Service Providers.

“In 2018, the adoption of 3G and 4G KPIs was formalised, as well as that of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Collocation Service Providers (CSP) and their monitoring has since fully commenced. These regulatory initiatives have put operators on their toes to improve quality service delivery to consumers,” said Danbatta.

Protecting and empowering consumers

To further empower consumers, in 2016 we introduced the Do-Not-Disturb (DND), 2442 Short Code, which gave consumers the power to opt -in or -out of unsolicited messages on their respective networks. It prioritised consumer satisfaction by declaring 2017 as “the Year of the Consumer”, and set out with various projects to bring telecoms consumers closer to the Commission and their various network operators.

The Commission also upgraded the NCC Toll-free Number 622as secondary complaints mechanism to further empower and resolve consumer complaints.  It also issued Directions on Data Roll-over and another on Forceful Subscription of Data Services and Value-added Services (VAS). The two directions have ensured effective protection of telecoms consumers.

In 2019, it revised the NCC Consumer Complaints and Service Legal Agreement (CC/SLAs) with the Operators in order to ensure prompt response to consumer complaints while it has also reviewed the Consumer Code of Practice Regulations at a Public Inquiry. The draft regulations are being concluded for publication in official Gazette.

“We initiated the Mobile Devices Management Systems (DMS) in collaboration with other agencies aimed at protecting consumers from the negative effects of substandard devices on the networks and the health of telecom consumers. The DMS project, when fully implemented, will help in combating the proliferation of fake, counterfeit and cloned communication devices in the telecommunications industry.

“Similarly, we have developed Regulations on E-Waste. The Regulations will ensure that, we are also able to rid our environment of indiscriminate disposal of malfunctioning and disused gadgets, which are capable of posing health risks to consumers. Our commitment in protecting the lives and property of telecoms consumers bygetting rid of improperly registered Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards.

“We conduct periodic audit of the networks to ensure the MNOs do not harbour improperly registered SIM cards on their networks any further. I am happy to report that 19 Emergency Communications Centres (ECC) have been activated across the country. The 112 National Emergency Number allows Nigerians in distress to get help in emergencies.

“The Commission has received special recognitions for its role in enhancing security of lives and properties of Nigerians and by implication, promoting the protection of telecoms consumers. The 112 number has become a major channel of communication during this COVID period as over one thousand two hundred and nine (1,209) COVID-19 related calls were made to the 112 national emergency toll free number between March and June 2020 from the various ECCs across the country,” the EVC further said.

Talking telcos to stock exchange

The efforts of the Commission, through its firm regulatory approach and foresight, also culminated in the listing of MTN Nigeria and Airtel Africa, two telecoms companies on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). “I am proud to say that the telcos’ listing has helped to translate into action an important objective of the Commission, which is to promote indigenous investment and ownership in the telecom sector. Since their listing, the quoted telecoms companies have been keeping the Nigerian bourse upbeat and bullish with prospects for more listings in the future,” said Danbatta.

The plan for the next 5 years

Looking ahead, plan for the increased growth of telecom in Nigeria is clear. NCC will leave no stones unturned to ensure the goals are achieve. “We have our job cut out for us and we will start with broadband because that is the key to touching the lives of every Nigerian.  We hope to takebroadband penetration to 70 per cent to at least 90 percent of the population by 2025 in line with new target in the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (NBBP), 2020-2025.

“We want to continue to protect consumers and ensure they have value for their money. We want to continue to support and fast-track the digital economy drive of the Federal Government of Nigeria and this has led to the creation of a Digital Economy Department in the Commission.”

According to him, the Commission is placing emphasis on growing the digital economy in collaboration with sister agencies under the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy (FMoCDE). It hopes to consolidate on spectrum trading to ensure maximum and efficient usage of available frequencies; continuous SIM registration audit to provide security and curtail incidences of banditry, kidnapping and armed robbery; completion and commissioning of Emergency Communications Centres (ECCs) in the remaining states to enhance security and provide relief to citizens in distress.

He said NCC is committed to the execution of the counterpart Funding Agreements with the Licensed InfraCo to facilitate increase in fibre deployment in the country and ensure, at least one Point of Access (PoA) in each of the 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Nigeria to enhance digital transformation.

Furthermore, he said the NCC remains committed to driving the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) and the NBBP 2020-2025 for advancing the digital economy vision of the Federal Government.

I will not conclude this address without making reference to the recently unveiled new NCC Strategic Management Plan (SMP) 2020-20204. The SMP is the NCC’s visioning document for planning and defining its strategic goals and set objectives. The strategic plan has five strategic pillars, which include regulatory excellence, universal broadband, promote development of digital economy, market development; and strategic partnering.

The SMP provides the focus for us, as a regulator of the telecoms sector, for effective and efficient utilisation of internal processes and resources towards growing the sector and satisfying external stakeholders. It provides for us the pedestal for meeting government’s expectations from the Commission with respect to delivering on its mandates of driving digital economy by advancing industry growth through strategy, professionalism, innovation and regulatory excellence in the next five years,” Danbatta concluded.