The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Prof Garba Danbatta, has expressed the commission’s commitment towards strengthening its regulation of the telecommunication sector, especially by providing solid infrastructure and general industry regulations.
Danbatta spoke in Abuja while playing host to a delegation from the Food Basket Foundation International, FBFI, led by its Chief Executive Officer, Funmi Akinyele.
The NCC boss, who received the delegation through the Commission’s Director of Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka, assured that the telecom regulator would continue to consult stakeholders on issues affecting telecommunication services deployments and developments, in line with its culture of inclusiveness, collaboration and partnership, as predicated on its strategic focus.
On her part, Akinyele commended the commission’s regulatory excellence, highlighting its effort in ensuring there are regulations, frameworks and guidelines to guard the telecoms sector and online civic space.
She, however, expressed concerns about the state of the social media with uncontrolled content, adding that the visit to the regulator was to explore areas of collaboration in its programme to protect the digital civic space by combating misinformation and disinformation while mitigating risks to the digital civic space to ensure electoral integrity before, during and after the 2023 general elections.
According to her, the initiative comes under one of the Food Basket Foundation International projects, dubbed Safeguarding Digital Civic Space for Electoral Integrity, SDSEI.
Responding, Danbatta informed the team that the commission is not responsible for the regulation of content of social media networks as that responsibility is in the purview other agencies.
“We have tried not to be a closed organization. We give lots of premiums to consultations and collaborations, especially in the areas that will ensure that the consumers and stakeholders understand what is going on and to make input that enriches the quality of regulations, as well as being able to access information they may require to safeguard themselves and the society,” he said.
The NCC boss also invited the group to join the commission in carrying out enlightenment campaigns to educate telecom consumers on their roles and responsibilities in order to use the Internet and telecommunication platform safely to counter misuse and abuse.
