The Executive Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta says the Telecom Consumer Parliament is a reiteration of the Commission’s commitment to consumer empowerment and protection through continuous improvement of qualitative, universal and affordable services.
The former University Lecturer stated at the 80th Edition of the Telecom Consumer Parliament (TCP) at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.
Danbatta, who was represented by Mr. Sunday Dare, Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management at NCC, also recalled that the basis for the institutionalization of the TCP, is to get a wider consultative engagement of consumers to identify challenges, needs and desires; as well as creating pervasive platforms for consumer information and education.
“The institutionalization of the TCP by NCC is consumer-centric with the declaration of 2017 as Year of the Nigerian Telecom Consumer. We have consistently used the TCP for wider consultative engagement of consumers to identify challenges, needs and desires; as well as creating pervasive platforms for consumer information and education,” he noted.
Dare stated that the Year of the Nigerian Telecom Consumer Programme is an offshoot of items 2 and 6 of the NCC Management’s 8-Point Agenda unveiled to the public in January 2016. These items speak to the desire to improve the quality of telecom services; and the protection of the consumer as the King, the lifeblood of the telecom sector in Nigeria.
The Telecom Consumer Parliament is the flagship interactive programme of the Commission instituted in 2003 to bring the regulator (NCC), operators and consumers together to reflect on challenges of telecom operations and offer solutions. The Consumer Outreach Programme (COP) and Townhall Meeting (THM) are the other two companion programmes designed by the Commission for the same purpose of consumer information, education, discussion and resolution of challenges faced by the consumers.