Abuja, Nov. 18, 2024 – The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has commended the federal government for classifying telecommunication infrastructure in Nigeria as critical national assets.
President Bola Tinubu announced the classification in a presidential order iin July 2024.
Dr. Aminu Maida, the Executive Director/Chief Executive of the NCC, made the commendation while speaking at the 93rd Telecom Consumer Parliament in Abuja.
He said the order was critical to addressing the problems of vandalism and unauthorised access to telecommunication infrastructure in Nigeria.
Maida said the impact of vandalism and theft of telecom infrastructure had hampered operators’ efforts to deliver quality services to consumers.
He said vandalism of infrastructure and the increasing cost of operation were some of the challenges facing operators and promised that the NCC was addressing these challenges.
“We cannot ignore the impact of current macroeconomic challenges and the rising cost of business in the country which affects the ability of operators to make the necessary investments in the sector.
“The Commission is mindful of this and is actively working with other arms of government and stakeholders to address these issues and ensure the industry’s sustainability.”
He, however, said that in spite of these challenge, the adoption of telecommunication services in the country had been growing in the last two decades.
“Globally, DataReportal notes there are now over 5 billion internet users, with Nigeria alone accounting for 132 million connections.
“Nigerians spend an average of 4 hours and 20 minutes on social media daily, far above the global average, underscoring how deeply embedded digital interaction is in our lives.
“In 2024, Nigeria’s daily data usage averaged 336 gigabytes per second, marking a 39% increase from the previous year, a clear indication of the data-driven lifestyle many Nigerians lead,” he said.
The NCC boss said transition from basic voice services to 5G-enabled innovations such as smart cities and the Internet of Things had driven significant digital adoption.
He said that with the growing adoption of telecommunication services, the issue of data usage and billing transparency had emerged as major consumer concerns.
To check these. Maida said the NCC had introduced an audit to the billing systems of mobile network operators and internet service providers.
He however, said the perception of rapid data depletion had persisted even when the audits had revealed no significant issues.
Maid said the NCC launched a Joint Industry Campaign on Consumer Awareness to educating users on smarter data management.
He said the campaign had been disseminated through radio, television, newspapers, and SMS, providing practical tips for optimising data usage. (GBN)
