By Kester Omu
In a bid to strengthen the online payment systems and other telecom services, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said it will soon dump the paper numbering system for the automated numbering system.
The Commission disclosed this at a consultative forum, held in Lagos with a broad spectrum of stakeholders as part of the process planned towards the introduction of an automated numbering system in Nigeria.
“The NCC would soon launch the automated numbering system. Numbers are a scarce resource and one of the core functions of the Commission is to ensure that this scarce resource is effectively and efficiently managed”, Ubale Maska, Executive Commissioner Technical Services, who represented Prof. Umar Danbatta, the EVC/CEO of NCC informed the participants to nudge their understanding and to restate the reason for the forum.
Maska said the consultative forum is consistent with its distinctive tradition of broad spectrum consultation prior to taking regulatory decisions.
Rolling out the benefits of the automated numbering system, Paul Dinwoke, CEO Molcon Multiconcepts Limited, Consultants to NCC on the project told the participants that some of the benefits of the automated system include convenience, transparency, efficiency, easy tracking, ability to choose number options, and strengthening of online payment systems.
The Forum was attended by many stakeholders, including licensees of the Commission and staff, including Bako Wakil, Deputy Director Tevhnical Standards and Network Integrity who told the audience that the deployment of the automatic numbering management system is part of the NCC’s efforts to automate her business processes within and outside the Commission.