Over 98% of the service-related complaints from telecom consumers lodged with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have been successfully resolved, the commission has stated in a report.
In a press release signed by the Director of Public Affairs, Dr Ikechukwu Adinde, and published on its site, the commission noted that all of these complaints were received between January 2019 and April 2020, and urged consumers to follow established channels of reporting whenever they have a complaint.
The commission assured consumers of its commitment to improving the “Quality of Service (QoS) and Quality of Experience (QoE) for both voice and data services for the nation’s over 190 million telecom subscribers”, especially amid the communication challenges imposed by the spread of the Coronavirus.
In the period under review, a total of 26,169 complaints were received through all the Commission’s official channels of communication, and managed by the Commission, out of which 25,575 (98%) were successfully resolved.
“These include 24,481 complaints received through Commission’s Contact Centres; 1,007 complaints received through the NCC Consumer Portal; and 296 others received as written complaints submitted at NCC Head Office in Abuja and at the Commission’s five zonal offices in Lagos, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Ibadan.
“Complaints also reached the Commission through its official email (ncc@ncc.gov.ng) while 366 of the complaints were transmitted to the Commission through its social media handles on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and the specially-dedicated Twitter handle for consumer issues (@ConsumersNCC). Also, 19 complaints were also referred to the Commission during the period through the Twitter account of Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami” the release stated.
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The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of NCC, the Prof, Umar Danbatta, expressed his delight that consumers are increasingly utilising the complaint channels instituted and noted that efforts are still ongoing to resolve those that may not have been addressed to the consumers satisfaction.
“It is important to note that Commission’s actions in this regard is in congruence with NCC’s mandate to protect and defend the rights of the consumer, and to give concrete expression to its faith in the consumer as the lifeblood of the telecom sector,” Danbatta said.
He added that given the outbreak of the pandemic, it had become more expedient for TelCos to provide consumers with reliable services in order to cope with the restrictions to physical movement, and the Commission is determined to hold service providers to their responsibilities and reduce the incidence of complaints.