The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, earlier today hosted a broad spectrum of telecom consumers, operators and an array of other stakeholders for the 80th Edition of the Telecom Consumer Parliament (TCP) at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.
Prof. Umar Danbatta, NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, represented by Mr. Sunday Dare, Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, NCC, recalled the basis for the institutionalization of the TCP of NCC’s consumer-centric stance, which the declaration of 2017 as Year of the Nigerian Telecom Consumer has come to underscore.
Danbatta 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 Year of the Nigerian Telecom Consumer Danbatta said is a reiteration of NCC’s commitment to consumer empowerment and protection through continuous improvement of qualitative, universal and affordable services; wider consultative engagement of consumers to identify challenges, needs and desires; as well as creating pervasive platforms for consumer information and education.
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 Town Hall 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.