The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has signed a revised Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC).
This is contained in a statement issued by Reuben Muoka, NCC’s Director Public Affairs, and emailed to The NewsZenith.
According to the statement, the MoU has provisions to deter unapproved lottery and gaming practices on telecommunications platforms.
The Executive Vice-Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta remarked that the MoU would impact the gaming industry.
The memorandum, Danmbatta said, is in sync with the commission’s Strategic Vision Plan (SVP).
“It is in a bid to promote fair practices in the industry for the protection of telecommunications consumers in relation to lottery and gaming activities,” he said.
The NCC boss explained that the collaboration “is in line with the provisions of Commission’s SVP, 2021-2025”.
SVP, he noted, provides for facilitation of strategic partnership and collaboration with other bodies to enhance service delivery.
“The initial MoU expired in 2022.
“We have ammended and modified the MoU since, especially given the industry’s dynamic nature.”
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The Director-General of NLRC, Mr Lanre Gbajabiamila, expressed confidence that the MoU would yield favourable outcomes in curbing illegal online gambling.
Gbajabiamila expressed the hope that NCC and NLRC would achieve their intentions in the interest of gaming stakeholders.
He lament that unapproved lottery and gaming activities undermine the integrity of domestic and global gaming markets.
This, he said is to the detriment of stakeholders in addition to undermining consumer confidence in these markets.
Earlier in his remarks, the Executive Commissioner (Stakeholder Management), Mr Adeleke Adewolu said that the MoU was designed to address recent technology information-sharing capabilities.
It also aimed at promoting consumer satisfaction and enhance areas of co-regulation in line with the Federal Government’s digital economy mandate.
The new MoU replaces the first one signed by both organisations, which expired in 2022.
Under the agreement, NCC shall block or disable illegal lottery gaming operators on the telecommunications service providers’ platform in Nigeria.
A Joint Implementation Committee (JIC) comprising representatives of NCC and NLRC developed the document.
THe committee will implement the MoU and other matters that promote collaboration between both organisations in their regulatory functions.
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