WCRD: NCC dissects, proffers solutions to plastic pollution challenge

WCRD: NCC dissects, proffers solutions to plastic pollution challenge

The Nigerian Communications Commission, Nigeria’s telecoms regulator, has dissected the global challenge of plastic pollution while highlighting its initiatives to tackle the menace in Nigeria.

Umar Dambatta, the executive vice chairman of the commission who addressed an international press conference today marking this year World Consumer Right Day (WCRD) in Abuja said tackling the pollution problem is in the best interest of consumers.

Danbatta

He added that consumer satisfaction remained a central organizing principle of the commission regulatory activities.

The NCC boss said the theme for this year World Consumer Rights Day for 2021 is, “Tackling Plastic Pollution”, adding that activities and actions slated for this commemoration were to raise awareness and engage state and non-state actors on the global plastic pollution crisis.

According to him, this was coming three years after the NCC drafted the Nigerian Communications Industry E-Waste Regulations in 2018.

He maintained that objective of the Regulation was to manage E-Waste; promote reuse, recycling and other forms of recovery; improve environmental management system of operators in the telecom industry; and reduce greenhouse emissions as well as enhance sustainable development efforts.

In his welcome remark, Adeleke Adewolu, the executive commissioner stakeholder management (ECSM), said as a rallying point, Consumers International – the global coalition of over 250 consumer advocacy groups and entities in more than 120 countries and territories annually organised activities on 15th Day of the month March, with a thematic focus that called attention to a topical issue of interest and concern to consumers in all regions of the world.

He said: “This year, the theme of the celebration is: “Tackling Plastic Pollution”. As a consumer-centric organisation, the NCC aligns with all visions that call attention to concerns about consumer rights and the need to secure them, because the prosperity of any business or service takes life from its consumers and stakeholders.

“In 2017, NCC expressed unequivocal commitment to the centrality of the telecom consumer in the telecom ecosystem by declaring that Year as Year of the Telecom Consumers. Before then and after, we have been unwavering in our commitment to the primacy of the consumer in the architecture of telecommunications industry in Nigeria. For this reason, the NCC has received many awards, and we will not rest on our oars.

“This also explains why we have organised today’s conference to recall policies, initiatives, programmes and activities of the Commission towards protecting the rights and addressing the concerns of the Nigerian telecom consumer.”

Also in his remarks, Prince Ighoovie Majemite, the chairman of Industry Advisory Advocacy Forum (ICAF), said over the years NCC has created a veritable enabling environment for a robust telecommunication industry that speaks to good customer experience.

He said the commission’s NCC steadfastness in protection of the industry and consumers rights and privileges are not compromised.

“In achieving her goals, so many players are involved and one of these players is the industry consumer advisory forum (ICAF).

“It is an advisory body set up by NCC to look at thematic issues in the telecommunication business in Nigeria. ICAF bandies these thematic issues and advises on implementable resolutions that are forwarded to NCC management.

“ICAF has provided many implemented resolutions like DND, Porting of phone lines, unused Data rollover and others.

“Today, in the course of this event we shall be unveiling another ICAF initiative in collaboration with NCC – The   Telecommunication Handbook

“This book is very informative and educative. It captured the necessary things  consumers need to know in the telecommunication industry without ambiguity.

“Our success is achieved under the leadership of the minister of communication and digital economy Dr. Isa Pantami, the executive vice chairman of NCC professor Umar Danbatta and his management team.”