ATCON highlights why Telecomms, ICT firms must place premium on consumer satisfaction

Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has reiterated the centrality of consumers to the projected growth in the telecom and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector to expedite progress in the sector.

The body explained that the growth of the sector is hinged on the role of the government in terms of regulation and policy directions, the telecom and ICT companies and the consumers.

To this end, the umbrella body for all telecom companies says it has concluded plans to organise a sectoral Virtual Forum on August 6,2020 with the theme: “Meeting the Interests of Government, Consumers and Telecom & ICT Companies in the Era of COVID-19 and Post Covid-19 Pandemic for Digital Economy Development”, which would address the need of telecom and ICT consumers in the COVID-19 and post COVID-19 pandemic cum digital the economy era with the principal goal of meeting the new broadband target of 70 per cent.

ATCON in a statement says it is providing a veritable platform for governments, consumers (corporate and personal) and telecommunications and ICT companies to rob minds on how consumers can be better off in terms of effective delivery of telecoms and ICT services and products in Nigeria.

The body urged governments at all levels to ‘make laws that encourage further investments into the sector’, adding that telecommunications and ICT sector must make consumer satisfaction their priority.

The statement read in part: “The centrality of consumer to the projected growth of the Nigerian telecoms and ICT sector cannot be overlooked in the area of the needed investment to accelerate the progress of our sector. With the emergence of the digital economy in Nigeria coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, many economic transactions would be done digitally going forward.

“In actualizing this dream of giving Nigerian telecoms and ICT consumers a place in the heart of governments and telecoms and ICT companies, all hands must be on deck in that governments must make laws that encourage further investment into the sector, telecommunications and ICT companies must make consumers satisfaction their priority and the consumers must support the telecoms and ICT companies by requesting the government to relax its exorbitant taxes and levies and telecoms and ICT companies must be able to buy Forex directly from Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

“Nigeria’s Telecom sector has witnessed two major important developments – President Muhammadu Buhari, on October 23, 2019, renamed the ministry which supervises the Telecoms and ICT sector to the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and further, expand its mandate to capture the goals of digitalization of the Nigerian economy in line with the Economic Growth and Recovery Plan (EGRP) and the global outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic. These two important developments will form the basis of the continued development of the Telecoms and ICT Sector in the next few years.”

ATCON, however, expressed readiness to use the sectoral forum to proffer lasting solutions as well as galvanise support from the government, telecom companies and the consumers in the era of COVID-19 and post COVID-19 for digital economy development and increasing the contributions of the sector geometrically to Nigeria’s GDP.