Telecom
Education key for Consumer Awareness & Protection – Prof. Danbatta
Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Office (EVC/CEO) of Nigerian Communications Commission, has said that education remains a key driver equipping telecom consumers and arming them from exploitative tendencies of the market forces.
Prof. Danbatta disclosed this on Thursday at the 34th edition of Consumer Town Hall Meeting, CTM, with the theme, “Information and Education as Catalyst for Consumer Protection” in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.
The EVC, described telecom consumers as the most important stakeholders of the sector, noting that telecom consumers help in sustaining the industry through patronage of telecom services from service providers, hence the need to accord them their due respect.
Prof. Danbatta, who was represented by Deputy Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau, Alhaji Ismail Adedigba assured that the commission would use the forum to empower consumers and equip them in line with world best practice.
He pointed out that the theme for the CTM was targeted at achieving one of the 8 Point agenda of the current administration which is to shield telecom consumers from exploitative tendencies of the service providers and crown them as the king of the telecom market.
He noted that the Nigerian Communications Commission has developed various programmes to empower Consumers.
Which he noted as, organizing outreach programmes across the country; dissemination of consumer education via fact sheets; information dissemination via consumer web portal; interaction via social media; responding to enquires via the NCC centre on the 622 toll free number; and participating on radio programmes.
He charged service providers to help consumers make informed decision on products and services.
Abdullahi Maikano, Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau, while making his remarks, said that, telecom consumers are the target beneficiary of all its activities which makes them enjoy primary focus in terms of ensuring that they get good quality of service, value for money spent and timely and fare redress of complaints.
To ensure that the consumer is well protected, informed and educated, he said the Commission has developed series of initiatives with the aim of empowering the consumer with appropriate information that will ensure that their rights are protected.
Jide Abdulazeez, chief executive, Wheel of Hope Consumer Advocacy, Speaking at the event, said cognizance must be given to consumer needs as well as demands in order to promote the patronage of telecommunications otherwise the services will be an effort in futility.
He noted that creating consumer awareness for consumer is the most potent mechanism to protecting them from being shortchanged in any service delivery, adding that protection of the consumers is in tandem to deepening market confidence and expansion.
Meanwhile, aggrieved subscribers seized the forum to ventilate their dissatisfaction from poor quality of service from service providers. Some of their complaints ranged from call drop, unsolicited SMS, exploitative data service and illegal charges and deductions.
Lynda Saint-Nwafor, chief Enterprise business officer, MTN Nigeria, has assured the network subscribers that the new end-user billing system for the use of USSD services will jot affect them.
USSD, otherwise Unstructured Supplementary Service Data codes are commonly used for banking transactions, airtime recharges, and other mobile services.
The telco said that there is no significant impact or change other than the fact that they will now pay the same N6.98 per session (120 seconds) with their airtime instead of direct bank debit.
Saint-Nwafor, said this during a chat with MTN MIP fellows, explaining that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have ordered telecom operators to ensure that the new billing model resolves trust issues and ensures transparency in the billing process.
“Our regulator insisted that at the end of every month, we are going to be providing history and statistics on the performance of the service across the board”, she explained.
Saint-Nwafor added that the new billing model has standardized messaging across all operators and ensures consistent communication with customers.
“We will take all the error codes and map them into messages that are standardised across the board. So, if you initiate a transaction, you will know if it is failing. And, when the transaction fails, you will know if it is from your bank or the telco,” she explained.
The U.S. government has recovered $225 million in what is now the largest seizure of funds linked to a cryptocurrency investment scam.
In a statement released Wednesday, June 18, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said the recovery followed an extensive investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service, using blockchain analysis and other forensic tools. The statement did not confirm whether any arrests had been made.
According to the authorities, the stolen funds originated from fraudulent cryptocurrency investment schemes that tricked victims into believing they were making legitimate investments. More than 400 individuals around the world, including dozens in the United States, were reportedly affected.
The operation involved a sophisticated money laundering network that carried out hundreds of thousands of blockchain transactions to obscure the source and ownership of the stolen assets.
“These scams prey on trust, often resulting in extreme financial hardship for the victims,” said Shawn Bradstreet, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Secret Service office in San Francisco.
Bradstreet added that U.S. officials hope the recovered funds can eventually be returned to the rightful victims.
Cryptocurrency investment fraud accounted for over $5.8 billion in reported losses in 2024 alone, according to the statement.
In a rousing declaration that is electrifying minds across the continent, Hon. Nnaemeka Ani, Special Adviser on ICT to Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has called for a homegrown digital revolution under the banner “Africa Will Rise: By Code, By Courage, By Us.”
Hon. Nnaemeka Ani
The message, part challenge, part philosophical—seeks to galvanize African innovators to move beyond buzzwords and build technology with impact and legacy in mind.
“Let’s stop building for hype. Let’s start building for legacy,” Ani urged while speaking to ICT journalists over the weekend. “Let’s stop waiting for someone else. Let’s start creating the future—on our own terms.”
At the heart of Ani’s vision is a shift from tech consumerism to tech authorship. With innovation hubs sprouting across cities like Enugu, Lagos, Kigali, Jo’Burg, and Nairobi, and a growing community of developers, engineers, and entrepreneurs determined to solve Africa’s unique challenges, the movement is already taking shape.
Ani emphasized that Africa’s future lies not in flashy apps or international admiration but in persistent, intentional solutions that uplift communities—solutions that digitize public services, bridge rural-urban divides, empower women and youth, and build resilience in food and climate systems.
“We have the talent,” he said. “Now it’s time to harness it—to stop building for likes and start building for lasting impact.”
With support from leaders like Ani and rising momentum in Africa’s tech corridors, it seems that a new chapter is being written—one line of code at a time.
MTN Says New N6.98 USSD Charge Won’t Affect Airtime Recharge
Sofri Rejigs Digital Platforms for Better Customer Experience
DLM Group Unveils Innovative Sovereign Bond Backed Composite Notes
Study Reveals 7% of Industrial Organizations Tackle Vulnerabilities Only When Necessary
NITDA, NCFRMI Forge Strategic Alliance for Inclusive Digital Transformation of Displaced Nigerians
NIMC Plans to Register 95 Percent Nigerians by December
Why I am vying for AFRINIC board seat in 2025 election – Terry Edet
ALTON Clarifies on Migration to End-User Billing for USSD Services
ACAMB Champions Bankers Wellness with Aerobics Fitness Session
Court Declares Bank’s Withholding of Retirement Benefits Unlawful
General News3 days agoNASRDA, Galaxy Space Firm Sign MoU on Satellite Connectivity
Telecom3 days agoOver 1m Nigerians Reached through MTN Staff’s Digital and Community Outreach
Telecom3 days agoMafab Gets 0724 Number Series, Launches Mcom 5G Brand
News3 days agoDBN Awards N13m in Grants to Tech Startups
Telecom3 days agoNCC to Name, Shame Telecom Infrastructure Vandals
News3 days agoFCCPC Shuts France, Belgium, and Italy Visa Centres in Abuja Over Alleged Consumer Rights Violations
Telecom3 days agoWSIS Review: Nigerian ICT Leaders Urged to Shape Global Digital Future
E-Financial3 days agoBank Customers Petition CBN over Illegal Deductions, Demand Action