The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has sensitised Bayero University, Kano (BUK) students and officials on their rights and privileges as telecoms consumers.
The students were educated as a part of the ‘Campus Conversation’, a sub-programme of the Telecom Conversations (TCs), a modified consumer information and education outreach programme in the purview of NCC’s Consumer Affairs Bureau (CAB).
It consists of six sub-programmes; all conceived to target different categories of telecom consumers and empower them with the right information they require to make informed decisions.
Addressing the students, the director, consumer affairs bureau, NCC, Efosa Idehen, said the conversation at BUK was the fourth in a series, organised to enlighten telecom consumers who are students about their rights, privileges and obligations to enhance the quality of experience in respect of telecom services.
Represented by the head, consumer policy development and monitoring, Hafsat Lawal, Idehen said the objective of the CC is to ensure that telecom consumers on university campuses are adequately informed and educated on their rights and privileges.
Additionally, Idehen said, through the conversation, students as telecoms consumers can acquire knowledge to make informed decisions and be able to protect themselves from unwholesome practices by service providers.
The director outlined numerous channels – consumer portal – the NCC emplaced for aggrieved consumers to seek redress and learn about the consumer-centric activities of the commission.
Other initiatives include the NCC’s toll-free number (622), a second-level complaint mechanism for telecoms consumers to escalate complaints earlier lodged with their service providers which have not been addressed satisfactorily. The director also mentioned NCC’s corporate social media Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn handles, as well as correspondence via the NCC official email address (ncc@ncc.gov.ng).
Idehen told the students to take advantage of all the commission’s channels of communication to seek redress in terms of the resolution of their telecom service-related complaints.
In his remarks, NCC’s director, new media and information security, Dr. Alhassan Haru, emphasised the importance of cyber awareness and vigilance. He said as the NCC works with all stakeholders to enhance accessibility to the Internet for more people, cybercriminals are also on the prowl to defraud unsuspecting users of the Internet.
“We constantly encourage youths, especially students in universities, who are the largest individual users of the Internet, to use the Internet for legitimate activities and be conscious of cybercriminals. At NCC, we also ensure that we educate you to ensure a safe cyberspace experience for all Nigerians.”
Earlier in her welcome address, the head, consumer information and education at NCC, Mistura Aruna, said the commission had put in place several consumer-centric initiatives mandated to talk to all shades of stakeholders. She added that this mandate is in line with the NCC’s strategic management plan (SMP) and other policy documents of the Federal Government, all of which have been streamlined in the commission’s strategic vision plan (SVP) 2021-2025, with emphasis and focus on strengthening consumer protection and empowerment.
The students, who participated in the event, enthusiastically engaged in the conversation, asking questions to seek more clarification on telecom services.
A statement by the commission’s director of public affairs, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, said the commission also distributed information, education and communication (IEC) materials to the students so that they can be easily referenced for effective and rewarding engagement with their service providers and the commission.
Other conversations being held by the commission include the ‘Telecom Public Sphere’, ‘Market Conversation’, ‘Professionals’ Dialogue’, Village Square Dialogue and the NYSC Sensitization.
