Professor Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, says Management of the Commission declared 2017 as YEAR OF THE NIGERIAN TELECOM CONSUMER to deepen stakeholder engagement.
This, he said, was to enhance the quality of consumer experience, and to empower the consumer through information and education.
“It is consistent with our recognition of the importance of the Consumer in the telecom industry”, he emphasized.
He stated this yesterday in Suleja, Niger State through Helen Obi, NCC’s Head of Zonal Operations, who represented him at the event.
The Consumer Conversation is a programme in the framework of the Year of the Nigerian Telecom Consumer campaigns essentially implemented by the Commission’s Department of Zonal Operations.
The Campaigns’ strategic initiatives focus on consumer activation of the DO NOT DISTURB Code 2442 to stop unsolicited SMS from operators.
In this instance, Danbatta explained that “a telecom consumer who does not wish to receive unsolicited messages from his service provider should simply text ‘STOP’ to the short code 2442”.
He advised that “Where a consumer wishes to receive promotional messages on specific issues, the Consumer should send “HELP” to 2442 to choose his preference(s) from the options available”.
Other initiatives include consumers utilization of the NCC Toll Free Line, 622 to report complaints relating to any unresolved issues which they had earlier reported to their service providers.
The EVC explained that “the Commission also designed the Campaigns to create conversations around its activities, particularly its efforts to continually improve the Quality of Service (QoS); and to educate consumers and all stakeholders about Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) radiation – an issue that has generated so much misinformation, distortions and obfuscation of facts contrary to the outcome of scientific research. It would be recalled that the Nigerian Communications Commission has repeatedly stated the position of studies on EMF, including those conducted under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO).
None of the studies has clearly established a correlation between the type and levels of radiation in telecoms operation (especially telecom masts) and human health.
Danbatta thus, advised the general public to double check information being circulated in this regard.
He expressed NCC’s gratitude to the consumers and other participants for their presence and resourceful contributions to the success of the Conversation.
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