…As EVC assures right policies to address issues
The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maina, was warmly welcomed by industry players at a special reception hosted by the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, ATCON, in Lagos.
The event, held at the weekend, served as a platform for ATCON to introduce Dr. Maina to industry leaders and showcase the association’s role in the Nigerian telecom sector.
ATCON President, Mr. Tony Izuagbe Emoekpere, emphasized the association’s commitment to working with the NCC.
He said: “I welcome the Executive Vice Chairman, EVC to our industry, Dr. Aminu Maina. It’s a traditional event that we always do ATCON to host all key stakeholders and we believe that the EVC of NCC is a major stakeholder in our industry.
“We do this from time to time and we’re very privileged and honoured to have him here in our presence.
“We pledge to continue to work with the Commission as we have done in the
He highlighted ATCON’s long standing role in representing industry interests and facilitating dialogue between regulators and operators.
Meanwhile several industry leaders delivered goodwill messages, expressing their support for Dr. Maina’s leadership.
They also highlighted key challenges facing the sector, including:Price caps
Energy costs, Multiple taxation among others.
Speaking, one of industry leaders, Mr Amida Azizi, MD/CEO Pan African tiles.
Azizi said: “ Frst, I think when EVC got appointed most of us didn’t know what to expect. For all we heard was the exploit he’s done in his previous appointments and i think ever since you came in, you basically showed us that you’re clear on your drivers and you want to collaborate with the industry and that has been very clear with engagements we’ve had from time to time and we really truly appreciate it.
“And, we believe that there’s now a lot, you brought a balance of governance and a listening ear and that’s something that is very rare and we appreciate that.
We are still expectant about a few big things that have to come into the industry.
“Again its like a broken record. The price cap has always been a very big issue.
In this room alone, we consume more than 50 million liters of diesel every month, we need interventions for those things.
“We need intervention on energy, on a lot of duties, double taxation and so on but I believe we’ve always laid this information on the table and we believe you’re working on it.”
NCC EVC Assures Commitment to Sustainability
In his response, Dr. Maina acknowledged the industry’s concerns and pledged the NCC’s commitment to developing policies that ensure the long-term sustainability of the sector.
He emphasized the importance of collaboration between the NCC, operators, and other stakeholders.
However, NCC and ATCON have remained committed to working together to address industry challenges.
Key areas of focus include ensuring affordable pricing, addressing energy costs, and promoting broadband adoption.
The NCC is committed to developing policies that support a sustainable and thriving telecom sector in Nigeria.