ATCON host Shittu, seeks assistance to grow ICT industry

The Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has hosted and formally welcomed the Minister of Communication, Barrister Adebayo Shittu to the industry and demonstrated their support to work with him in the discharge of his mandate.

In his welcome speech, the Engr. Lanre Ajayi, President ATCON  presented a catalogue of issues ranging from National Broadband Plan; eGovernement, National Critical Infrastructure; Frequency Management; Secondary  Spectrum Market; Free Spectrum; Infraco; Numbering Plan; MTN fine; and NCC independence for the minster to address in order to move the industry forward.

Engr Ajayi emphasized on the need for the ministry to map out a strategy to attract small operators to the unserved and underserved areas and to make some spectrum to be available to qualified operator for free.

According to him, small operators can easily be mobilized to service small communities by giving them appropriate incentives like the free spectrum as it is being done by United States which gives unlicensed or lite licensed frequencies to operators to attract them to underserved communities.

“This will not only ensure provision of services in those communities but also serve as great opportunities to create jobs in the communities,” he said.

He drew the attention of the undue delay their members suffer in obtaining Valued Added Service (VAS) numbering range as they are made to wait more than one year and yet are not able to obtain the numbering range to commence service.

He applauded the support of the South Korean Government for the eGovernement program, but called for a much deeper focus on locally developed solutions in our eGovernement development strategies.

In his presentation, the Executive Vice Chairman of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)  Prof Umar Garba Danbatta who was represented by Mr Tony Ojobo, Director of Public Affairs, NCC, stated that over $2billion have been invested in both Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Direct investment  in the telecom industry since inception.

The NCC boss said that there may be challenges associated with network, but noted that it is still work in progress.

He maintained that the 8-point Agenda for Telecommunication 2016 – 2020 is also meant to realize broadband penetration.

Prof Danbatta called on ATCON to strive in order to make sure that telecom Companies observe discipline and comply with all the regulator’s guidelines.

In his remark, the Minister commended ATCON for the reception and for constituting an Advisory Council for the industry players.

He assured the Association that all the issues raised would be forwarded to the NCC and other establishment within the ministry to get their reaction and the way out of this issue.

Shittu, however urged ATCON to called their members to order because his office was being inundated with complaint of poor quality of services, frequent congestion of network, getting unsolicited text messages, paradox of spasm messages from service providers, unnecessary deduction being done without the consent of the subscribers, under declaration of tax and under payment of tax by companies.

According to him, these actions have reduced consumers’ satisfaction, hence he invited the operators to Abuja about six months ago to end the menace of unsolicited text message, else the operators would be made to return the amount they deducted for the unsolicited text messages.

“I as a minister has been receiving this unsolicited text message from the network providers. It is unacceptable and it put us on financial risk and piracy risk,” he added