Telecom
50 Hearty Cheers to Telecom Consumer Parliament
It seems like yesterday when the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) begun the Telecom Consumer Parliament, Telecom, an alternative dispute resolution mechanism (ADR).
Like in all the previous editions, the 50th sitting of the Parliament in Abuja brought together the regulator, major telecoms operators in the country, consumers and consumers’ rights groups under one roof to chart a progressive course for the industry.
Issues pertaining, to Quality of Service, Consumer Rights Protection, Environmental Impact Assessment, Interconnection, Tariffs and Universal Service Provision were discussed at the meeting.
The 50th sitting is a toast to the Parliament which for the first time, consumers of telecommunications services and the providers agree that the alternative dispute resolution system set up in August 2003 by the NCC has worked.
Ernest Ndukwe, executive vice chairman, NCC said that the Commission has put in place special structures to ensure that the needs and desires of the consumer are taken care of.
“For us in the Commission, the consumer is the main object, the subject and the reason for our being; hence the place of the Consumer as the king is sacrosanct” he said
He also spared words for the operators which he said belong to a class of stakeholders in the business of telecom regulation.
He said that “Apart from obtaining their operational licenses, with certain obligations attached to them, the operators also expect certain obligations from government and the regulator. They expect a non partial regulator to protect their huge investments. They want the Commission to ensure that no other entity interferes with their network resources such as frequency spectrum or base stations”
In the Beginning
Many Nigerians believe that the great telecom revolution in Nigeria is the second independence for Nigeria, considering the ample opportunities it offers and the ability it offers for stress- free communication.
But memories are sometimes short and failing. So some Nigerians are quick to forget the dark years of telecommunications in the country characterized by poor services, long waiting period to get a phone line and general decay in infrastructure.
Today, cell phones ring in almost every pocket. Ownership cut across every age, class and boundaries, unlike the past when Nigerians were told phones were not for the poor.
And to attest to the burgeoning revolution, the world stood still and applauded Nigeria at the just ended Mobile World Congress (GSMA) held in Barcelona.
The revolution comes with its challenges, especially with the fragile relationship between consumers and the service providers.
Some of the issues which often get complained of by telecom consumers in Nigeria includes, false billing, arbitrary disconnection of service, poor service delivery, drop calls, non-chalant attitude towards genuine complaints, supply and installation of substandard equipment and devices, deceptive advertisement, credit depletion, inability to recharge, inability to check credit balance, network failure, sending/charging for multiple text massages in place of a single one
The problems are actually caused by power supply problems, network planning, system inadequacies, charging policy.
The increase in such complaints by the subscribers led to the intervention by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to create a parliament that brings together, stakeholders with the aim of strategising for better services.
The forum is called NCC Telecom Consumer Parliament. It stands on the tripod of the regulator, operators and consumers.
The Parliament
The parliament is the initiative of the Consumer Affairs Bureau (CAB) of Nigerian Communications Commission, established in September 2001, to inform, educate and protect the consumers of telecommunications services in Nigeria.
The Consumer Protection & Advocacy is one of the units of the CAB that is charged with the responsibility of responding to consumer complaints and enquiries.
It has worked and this is the general consensus of critics, consumers and operators.
It has been variously described, but it remains the only frontier that has brought the regulator, operators and subscribers on a round table.
The Parliament serves as a platform for consumer education, an alternative, inexpensive and quick dispute resolution.
It is serves an interactive forum, bridging the gap between operators and consumers in the industry, thereby building confidence and creating mutually beneficial relationship.
The ADR creates a forum for consumers to air their views and suggestions on how to make the industry forward.
It provides reliable feedback to the regulator for effective communications while educating telecom consumer on their rights and obligations for the overall healthy development of the industry.
More importantly it has institutionalized public accountability of both the operators and the regulator while eliciting stakeholders’ views, reactions, and inputs to policies and programmes.
It has also eradicated the perception of the consumers as the underdogs as was the case in the era of monopoly.
How It Works
The Parliament is held monthly at different geographical zones of Nigeria and every Nigerian is free to attend and contribute.
A session of the Parliament begins when the presenter introduces the representatives of the companies, NCC commissioners and management as well as legislators in attendance.
Then the EVC of the NCC is invited to make the opening remarks or give industry report, and after that the presenter spells out the rules of the proceedings including to accord courtesy to one another and that questions and answers be brief, clear and straight to the point.
During the question and answer time, five to 10 questions are taken and representatives of the concerned companies are invited to respond to queries/comments concerning them.
Where the responses provided the EVC intervenes.
At the end of some rounds of questions, the EVC is invited to respond to questions directed at the commission, signaling the end of the session.
The proceedings are recorded in both video and audio. The video is for broadcast in the national television station and in at least one other major TV station.
A report of the session is also prepared by the NCC and lists of all complaints that were brought before the commission are published in the newspapers every year for public accountability.
Achievements
It is easy to lose count of the achievements but a few stands out.
The Parliament was instrumental in bringing down the prices of SIM packs, cutting tarrifs, prices of recharges, extension of validity periojd.
It has also saved operators, consumers, and the regulator the costs, time and resources that would have otherwise gone into lengthy litigations.
The Parliament has presented Nigeria as people with ordered and civilized ways of handling issues.
Thumbs Up
The novel regulatory initiative has earned Nigeria, commendations from International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and ICT professionals and groups across the globe.
ITU is reportedly studying the Nigerian model and hope to replicate it in many countries.
At home, many believe that subscribers are getting the ease with the Consumer Parliament.
Lovithe Eze, a call center operator at Wuse Zone 6, Abuja said that "I have never attended the consumer parliament because I don’t have the time, but from what I have been watching on Television, the forum is important and it assists in telling the operators our problems"
“ I am very sure the consumer parliament has created challenges for operators, and we are seeing the results", said Husaini James, student, 23, who believes that the consumer parliament is a good interaction and should be encouraged.
According to him, sometimes, if you have a problem, even if you call a customer care centre, your problem is not attended to, but in the consumer parliament it is live and direct. "Several times they have no answer to give when customers quiz them at the parliament", he said.
Adeolu Ogunbanjo, president of the National Telecom Subscribers of Nigeria (Natcoms), said the NCC has achieved a lot through the monthly event, adding that a common achievement is the printing and selling of lower or cheaper denominations of recharge cards.
Mr Ogugua Chioke, chairman, GSM Consultative Forum, said the forum is unique and gives opportunities for both the operators and the consumers to interact. According to him, NCC deserves commendation on such excellent initiative and such parliament should be encouraged not only in the telecom sector but in the other sectors. "
The need for Nigeria to think outside the box in its need to drive towards global relevance with innovations and scientific developments will be on the front burner at the NITRA Innovative & Scientific Conference scheduled to hold on Thursday July 23, 2026 in Ikeja, Lagos.
NITRA
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will lead other delegates to discuss and take far-reaching decisions at the event, which has its theme as “Bridging Nigeria’s Digital Divide With Scientific Innovation”.
Other companies that have indicated interest in partnering with NITRA include mobile communications company, Tecno; Africa’s premier end-to-end AI solutions company, Hyperspace; and telecommunications data infrastructure company, Digital Realty.
Speaking on the proposed event, the Chairman, Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA), Chike Onwuegbuchi noted that the event will seek to create a platform for government and private organisations to deliberate on policies around scientific innovations in Nigeria, challenges, place of indigenous and foreign collaboration, roles of each stakeholder, and grassroots development in that regard, among others.
According to him: “The Federal government, with series of programmes and partnerships, has established the urgent need to create an ecosystem that thrives on scientific innovation, breeding institutions and individuals with a target of placing the country at the fore-front of Next-Gen development.
It is a known fact that digital and scientific innovations are crucial, not only to the survivability of a nation, but also to the sustainability of its growth and development, with significant effect on economic strength, global image, defense and security, government capabilities to function, and public health and safety, communication and digital footprint, among others.
The federal government is actively driving scientific innovation to foster economic diversification and build a $1 trillion economy by 2030. Efforts are heavily focused on commercializing research, establishing massive research funds, and funding strategic infrastructure, particularly in technology, biotechnology, and healthcare. Core government initiatives and policies include the newly instituted National Research and Innovation Development Fund (NRIDF), which aims to mobilize about $500 million annually to support research and the commercialization of scientific outputs; and the Nigeria Genomic City, a multi-ministerial initiative aimed at transforming Nigeria into a leading hub for genomics, precision medicine, and biotechnology. It is designed to protect indigenous data, stimulate artificial intelligence in health, and develop a highly skilled scientific workforce.
According to the General Secretary of NITRA, Mr. Chidiebere Nwankwo, the forum will also be a vehicle to propagating the views of decision makers to the public, thereby furthering the cause of public awareness and information dissemination on the topic.
The focus, he said will be on how Nigeria can sustain digital innovative growth and scientific development in Nigeria
The board of global payments company, PayPal, says a 53 billion dollars takeover offer from financial technology firm, Stripe, and private equity company, Advent International, does not adequately reflect the company’s long-term value.
PayPal
According to reports, the proposed acquisition, valued at 60.50 dollars per share, remains under consideration, with the board yet to formally respond to the offer.
The directors are said to be evaluating not only the financial value of the proposal but also the structure of the financing, the timeline for completing the transaction and the likelihood of obtaining regulatory approvals.
They are also considering the possibility of competing bids emerging.
Although the offer represents a premium of about 28 per cent above PayPal’s recent share price, the board believes the company could deliver greater value to shareholders if its ongoing turnaround strategy succeeds.
Following reports of the bid, PayPal shares gained about two per cent to close at 56.73 dollars.
Sources familiar with the discussions said Stripe and Advent have secured approximately 50 billion dollars in debt financing from JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley, while both firms would jointly contribute 17 billion dollars in equity.
Under the proposal, the two companies would jointly own PayPal instead of dividing its operations.
PayPal, Stripe, Advent International, JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley have all declined to comment on the proposed transaction.
The discussions come as PayPal seeks to strengthen its business after years of increasing competition from rivals including Apple Pay, Google Pay and emerging financial technology firms.
The company, which was valued at about 360 billion dollars in 2021, now has a market capitalisation of approximately 36 billion dollars.
Since assuming office as Chief Executive Officer in March 2026, Enrique Lores has embarked on a restructuring programme aimed at improving operational efficiency and restoring growth.
The restructuring includes the creation of three business divisions comprising Checkout, Venmo and Consumer Financial Services, and Payments and Crypto.
The company is also targeting 1.5 billion dollars in cost savings through the deployment of artificial intelligence technologies.
PayPal’s latest financial results indicated signs of recovery, with first-quarter revenue rising seven per cent year-on-year to 8.35 billion dollars, while total payment volume increased by eight per cent to 464 billion dollars.
If approved, the transaction would combine two of the world’s largest digital payments companies.
The combined business would process an estimated 3.7 trillion dollars in annual payment volume, significantly strengthening its position in the global online payments market.
However, analysts expect the proposed acquisition to face intense regulatory scrutiny because of the companies’ combined market share in merchant payment services.
To address possible antitrust concerns, the bidders have reportedly considered options, including separating PayPal’s Braintree business or other assets if required by regulators.
Sources said Stripe and Advent remain interested in pursuing the acquisition despite the board’s reservations, although negotiations are expected to continue.
Market observers are also awaiting PayPal’s earnings report scheduled for July 28 for further indications of the company’s financial recovery and future growth prospects.
Concerns over network reliability and its impact on Nigeria’s growing creator economy took centre stage at MTN Nigeria’s Data on Trial event, where content creator and streamer, Jarvis, challenged telecommunications operators to improve connectivity for digital creators.
Speaking during the event, Jarvis asked whether there were locations in Nigeria where uninterrupted internet connectivity could support real-life (IRL) streaming without network disruptions.
“Are there places where there is no breakage when streaming IRL?” she asked.
Her question highlighted the challenges faced by content creators who depend on stable internet services for live streaming, content uploads and real-time engagement with audiences.
Responding, MTN Nigeria’s Chief Technical Officer, Mr Yahaya Ibrahim, said network performance depends on several factors, including location, network coverage, device capability and the number of users connected to a particular base station.
He noted that operators continue to invest in expanding network capacity to meet the growing demand for data services.
Earlier, MTN’s General Manager, Network Performance and Quality Assurance, Mr Michael Ndukwe, explained the evolution of mobile network technology in Nigeria, from first-generation (1G) services to the current fifth-generation (5G) technology.
According to him, each phase of technological advancement has significantly increased network capacity and enabled new digital services.
Ndukwe cited Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) data showing that Nigerians consumed about 13.2 million terabytes of data in 2025.
He added that data usage reached approximately 4.06 million terabytes in the first quarter of 2026, reflecting the country’s increasing reliance on digital platforms and online services.
According to him, the growth is being driven by wider adoption of 4G and 5G networks, increased smartphone penetration, the proliferation of smart devices and expanding use of social media platforms.
Participants at the event noted that as more Nigerians build businesses and careers around digital content, access to reliable and high-speed internet has become critical to sustaining the country’s digital economy and creator ecosystem.
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