A distress response centre is to be established in each of the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, NewsSpecng learnt.
Executive Chairman, Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC), Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, said the emergency communication centres when completed would help bridge the gap between distress and emergency response agencies in the country.
Prof. Danbatta stated this in Enugu on Saturday during their special day at the ongoing Enugu International Trade Fair.
Danbatta, who was represented by the Director, of Public Affairs of the NCC, Mr Reuben Muoka, said all telecom operators were mandated to route emergency calls through the dedicated three-digit toll-free number 112, from each state to the emergency centres within the state.
Danbatta explained that the operators who should be residents in states where the communication centres are installed would process the distress calls and contact the responsible agency at the NCC headquarters whose duty it is to handle the cases.
He said, “Globally, telecom services are critical to the overall socio-economic well-being of any nation as it provides a technological foundation for societal communication which plays a central role in the fundamental operations of the society.
“NCC as a regulator is mindful that telecom is an enabler and catalyst for the economic advancement of the country and has consistently made available, affordable and accessible telecom service to eliminate certain telecom barriers.”
He also added that the commission had created a toll-free number 622, as a second-level complaint which allows consumers to escalate unresolved issues by their service providers to the commission for effective resolution.
On the cybercrime and e-fraud NCC boss advised consumers not to open emails that are not familiar to them.
He also warned consumers against posting personal identification information online.
The Chairman described unsolicited text messages as a major issue affecting telecom consumers, adding that the commission, in order to protect subscribers from the unwholesome practice, evolved a solution called “Do not disturb”.
Earlier, the president, Enugu Chamber of Commerce Industry Mines and Agriculture (ECCIMA), Mr Jasper Nduagwuike, assured consumers and stakeholders alike that the NCC is committed to ensuring better service delivery by telecommunication operators in the country.
Nduagwuike, who was represented by the first deputy chairman of ACCIMA, Mr Odega Jideonwu, explained that the role of the commission as a regulatory agency in the development of the telecommunication sector is to ensure best practices and efficient and effective service delivery by operators in the sector.
He described NCC as one of the sectors that had contributed to the enhanced growth of the Nigerian economy.
Nduagwuike said that a lot more needed to be done to fully tap the potential in this sector and for customers of the various GSM network operators to fully maximize the inherent benefits of optimal service delivery by operators.
He explained that the commission needs to do more, especially in having the courage to regulate operators in the sector to do what is right and protect vulnerable customers in the country.
He therefore posited that the Trade Fair platform is a good interface with Stakeholders in the telecom industry.
