The Federal Government on Thursday criticised major telecommunications operators for boycotting a national dialogue on service delivery, warning that the absence of collaboration is undermining Nigeria’s efforts to use digital infrastructure for microeconomic growth and GDP expansion.
The dialogue, convened by the National Civil Society Council of Nigeria, NCSCN, with the theme “Upscaling Telecommunications and Data Services for Microeconomic and GDP Growth,” was held at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Asokoro, Abuja.
Delivering the keynote address, Mr. Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communication, expressed disappointment that network providers were absent from a forum meant to address challenges affecting millions of subscribers.
“The absence of operators at a dialogue of this magnitude is regrettable,” Mr. Dare said. “We cannot fix what we refuse to discuss together. It is time to shift from assigning blame to building solutions.”
He described telecommunications and broadband as “the new electricity,” stressing that reliable connectivity is fundamental to commerce, education, health, financial inclusion and job creation.
“If we get connectivity right, micro businesses in Kano, women cooperatives in Enugu, and tech startups in Abuja will scale. If we get it wrong, we will continue to export talent and import poverty,” he added.
Mr. Dare urged the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, operators and government agencies to embrace transparency and adopt a problem-solving approach to persistent complaints including dropped calls, slow data, arbitrary charges, and infrastructure vandalism.
To guide reforms, he presented a 10-Point Charter for Digital Reform for adoption by government, regulators, operators and civil society. Key proposals include accelerating broadband expansion to rural areas, publishing quarterly service performance data, boosting consumer literacy on data usage and cybersecurity, protecting critical infrastructure from vandalism, expanding infrastructure sharing, and institutionalizing quarterly multi-stakeholder meetings.
The charter also calls for balancing affordability with investment, deepening regulatory enforcement, and making public dialogues like the NCSCN forum a statutory platform to track progress.
In his remarks, Mr. Blessing Akinlosotu, Executive Director of NCSCN, commended the NCC for attending and “consistently holding network providers accountable.”
“The NCC has shown leadership by showing up, by listening, and by enforcing standards,” Mr. Akinlosotu said. “What we now need is for the operators to match that commitment with presence, investment, and improved service quality.”
Representing the Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Mr. Edeyemi Ogoh said the commission welcomes public scrutiny. He outlined steps already taken, including enforcement actions in April that led to compensation in airtime for subscribers in local governments affected by substandard Quality of Service.
“We measure what actually matters to consumers,” Mr. Ogoh said. “In the spirit of transparency, we publish everything we measure. Once we measure, we publish it.”
He also reminded consumers of redress channels, noting that dialing 300 connects subscribers to any operator’s customer service, while complaints can also be lodged through the NCC’s portal and other platforms.
Participants at the dialogue were mandated to produce a communique outlining resolutions, timelines and responsibilities for government, regulators, operators and civil society. A technical committee was set up to draft the document.
“This communique will serve as our roadmap for accountability. It will track what has been promised and what has been delivered,” said Comrade Gambo Jagindi, an NCSCN official.
The NCSCN said the dialogue forms part of its constitutional mandate to amplify citizens’ voices and ensure accountability in public service delivery.
