The classification of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, infrastructure as critical national assets by the Federal Government of Nigeria, has been described as a welcome development by the Executive Director/Chief Executive of NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida.
Speaking at the 93rd Telecom Consumer Parliament in Abuja, recently, Dr. Maida commended the Federal Government for been sensitive to the NCC, saying the Commission was facing menace of infrastructure vandalism, noting that the development will address the challenge.
Maida said the increasing cost of operations were herculean task facing operators in the industry, hence, the NCC will address some of 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 further revealed that the adoption of telecommunication services have been encouraging despite challenges, even as data report showed that Nigeria accounts for 132 million internet users out of over 5 billion global users in the last two decades.
“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 maintained that 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.
Maida said the NCC had introduced an audit to the billing systems of mobile network operators and internet service providers. The perception of rapid data depletion had persisted even when the audits had revealed no significant issues.
NCC launched a Joint Industry Campaign on Consumer Awareness to educating users on smarter data management.
He assured that the campaign had been disseminated through radio, television, newspapers, and SMS, providing practical tips for optimising data usage.
