Ismail Adedigba, Head Information and Reference at NCC's Consumer Affairs Bureau (CAB), affirmed this at the 105th edition of Consumer Outreach Programme which took place at the International Conference Centre, Abakaliki. Adedigba said this has become necessary to manage the attendant challenges and upsurge of criminality in Internet usage occasioned by the liberalisation of the Nigerian telecommunications landscape two decades ago.
The Director Consumer Affairs Bureau at the Commission, Felicia Onwuegbuchulam, praised the telecom consumers for the gains recorded in telecom sector and their loyalty in the face of challenges which Commission is determined to address in collaboration with its numerous stakeholders among which the consumer is central. She said the Outreach is designed by the NCC to heighten information dissemination and education of the consumer to enhance consumer protection against Antics of the market forces.
Jide Abdulazeez, who made a presentation from the perspective of advocacy groups explained the concept of cybercrime to underscore why the Outreach focused on MITIGATING CYBERCRIMES: THE ROLES OF TELECOM CONSUMERS. He stated that citizens should be careful in their use of the Internet in order not to fall victim of scammers who trick people to extract personal information, expose children to pornographic contents and other vices and thus undermine the huge benefits of the cyberspace.
Participants seized the opportunity of the complaints desk provided by NCC and the operators at the event to lodge complaints about their experiences with telecom services. The general discussion on the presentations and other issues in the telecom ecosystem was equally very animated during the interactive session at the Outreach's plenary which discoursed various issues including cybercrimes, call masking and possible health-seeking behaviours over fears of hazard of telecom infrastructure and facilities.
The enthusiastic participants from all social strata were educated about NCC's contribution to the Computer Emergency Security Response and other initiatives introduced by the Commission mitigate unpleasant incidents in the cyberspace. The NCC also took suggestions from the participants about the need to sustain the outreach programme and ensure that SIM registration centres are accessible to those who live in rural areas.