This growth serves as a testament to the country’s progress in the realm of connectivity and economic development.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), continues to play a pivotal role as the regulator, placing paramount importance on ensuring the Quality of Service (QoS).

It is sad to note that QoS was an issue at the beginning. By beginning, we are talking of the licensing of GSM operators and commencement of service in 2001 (for convenience we’ll ignore the NITEL Years). QoS is still an issue today.

The Structures, Roles of Operators in the Nigerian Telecoms Sector

QoS, in essence, encapsulates a comprehensive set of measures and standards aimed at delivering consistent and top-notch telecommunications services to end-users. It’s not just about providing connectivity; it’s about ensuring reliability, network performance, data speed, and an overall seamless user experience.

The significance of QoS cannot be overstated. For consumers, it means experiencing uninterrupted connectivity, swift access to information, and seamless communication. Meeting these expectations directly influences customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Beyond consumers, businesses benefit immensely from superior QoS, gaining a competitive edge, retaining customers, and building a positive brand reputation. Conversely, subpar QoS can lead to customer dissatisfaction and loss, affecting both consumers and businesses alike.

Achieving superior QoS hinges on several key strategies. Continuous investment in robust infrastructure forms the backbone, ensuring reliable connections and network expansion. So far, over $76 billion has been invested in the sector in over 20 years.

With the country’s landmass and huge population, it is crystal that much more investment is required to boost QoS.

In addition, embracing cutting-edge technologies like 5G, AI, and IoT can further enhance speed, capacity, and network efficiency. Fortunately, operators are already working in these spheres.

The regulatory, NCC has a critical role to play in setting and enforcing QoS standards, ensuring service providers maintain a certain quality level. Experts concede that the regulator is doing what it can. It evidently is not enough.

So today, despite best efforts, challenges persist. Take network congestion. Network congestion during peak times poses a significant hurdle, necessitating innovative solutions like load balancing and network optimization.

Moreover, stringent security measures are essential to protect against cyber threats and safeguard user privacy, both integral components of reliable services.

There is also an urgent need for the protection of physical infrastructure and equipment. It is time to heed calls to classify telecommunications infrastructure across the country, as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI).

Telecommunications today are an indispensable asset in the quest for national development and economic growth, infrastructure that supports the provision of service must be kept safe.

Moving forward, collaboration among telcos, regulators, and tech providers is vital to setting and achieving QoS benchmarks while fostering innovation. Continuous evaluation, feedback mechanisms, and adaptation to emerging technologies are crucial in meeting evolving consumer needs.

In addition, establishing transparent reporting mechanisms and holding stakeholders accountable further enhances trust among consumers and regulators.

It is equally important to make it easier for operators to lay cables and connect our communities. The era of unbridled quest to rip off telcos in the name of “right of way” fees by state governors must stop. Telecommunications infrastructure benefits all of us, providing connections that enable socio-economic transformation. It improves the quality of life of citizens.

To the NCC, I will say this, the commitment to QoS should be more than a mere directive; it should be viewed for what it is – a fundamental necessity. Dr. Aminu Maida, the new Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the NCC, must take this to heart.

Undoubtedly, upholding high standards in telecommunications benefits consumers, businesses, and the industry at large. As technology advances and demands evolve, the pursuit of superior QoS remains crucial. It’s imperative to prioritize and elevate the quality of telecommunications services, and this endeavour requires a collective effort from all stakeholders.

After all, the purpose of a product or service is utility – the satisfaction it brings to the consumer.

Eromosele, a corporate communication professional and public affairs analyst, wrote via: elviseroms@gmail.com

To this effect, the Commission has hosted a two-day maiden conference at its headquarters in Abuja, where Prof. Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman, said it has become imperative to minimize risks in the industry to ensure that services are not disrupted, and that consumers obtain the best services that are globally available.

According to Mr. Reuben Muoka, Director, Public Affairs at NCC, the conference with the theme: “Nigerian Telecommunications Industry: Managing the Emerging Risks and Embracing Risk Opportunities,” called for collaboration between the regulator and other stakeholders in the industry, to achieve multi-stakeholder strategies aimed at identifying and addressing emerging risks in the telecom sector to ensure sustainable and impacting growth.

Yetunde Akinloye, the Director of Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis, who stood for the EVC, said the essence of the forum was to examine myriads of issues that challenge the implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy & Strategy (NDEPS) 2020-2030, and to enhance the development of a sustainable ICT sector in Nigeria.

“The focus of this conference is to bring to the fore the ever-rising uncertainties in the global economy and the attendant regulatory/operational risks in the areas of increased data security regulations, new partnerships and transforming business models, fast-changing mix of mounting capital expenditure (CAPEX) burdens, shifting market structures, newly emerging disruption scenarios, regulatory and policy challenges amongst others,” Danbatta said.

The EVC told participants at the event, which also featured virtual participation, that the Commission has been at the forefront of ensuring that the telecoms industry is not adversely impacted by these uncertainties/risks.

He stated that one of our Strategic Visions is to ensure a competitive market for the communications services that foster fair inclusion of all players, promote local content and innovative services in ways that facilitate new investment, job creation and consumer satisfaction.

Danbatta said the NDEPS is the guiding document for the Federal Government’s activities to maximise the immense opportunities that are inherent in digital technologies to nudge the diversification of Nigeria’s economy and attain the key national objectives of improving security, reducing corruption, and expanding the economy.

“While risk management has been critical in our regulatory service delivery, we acknowledge that all stakeholders must be concerned about the varied uncertainties that confront the Industry. There is no gainsaying the fact that the Information and Communication Technologies Sector is inherently filled with several business and technology risks,” Danbatta said.

“It is, therefore, important that regulatory risks be minimised to ensure that services are not disrupted, and consumers obtain the best and latest services that are globally available. The Commission in a bid to ensure that operators in the industry enjoy a conducive operating environment has had cause to seek government interventions and collaborate with other Agencies of Government in addressing major sectoral risks.

“These risks include cybersecurity and online fraud, regulatory burden, multiple taxation, vandalism of telecom infrastructure, right of way challenges, access to foreign exchange, inter-industry indebtedness, among others,” he said.

In his paper presentation titled ‘X-raying Telecommunications Risk Radar: The Operators’ Perspective’, a facilitator at the event, who spoke to issues of concern to operators, Eniola Olugboyega, said that risk-taking can have positive or negative impact on businesses.

He also stated that most common losses from improper management of risk in the sector include customer dissatisfaction, fines and litigation, product failure, and loss of business opportunities, among others.

According to him, effective risk management aids effective decision making, prevents financial and reputational loss and addresses potential threats.

Thus, telecom risk from the operators’ perspective includes regulatory risk, insecurity, data breach risk, foreign exchange risk, rising CAPEX risk, human resource risk, and the inability to take advantage of new business models.