The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it will continue to consult stakeholders on issues affecting telecommunication service deployments and developments.
Prof. Garba Danbatta, NCC’s Vice-Chairman, gave the assurance while receiving delegation from Food Basket Foundation International, on Monday in Abuja.
Danbatta said this is in line with NCC’s culture of inclusiveness, collaboration and partnership as predicated in its strategic focus.
Reuben Muoka, the Commission’s Director of Public Affairs, received the delegation, led by its Chief Executive Officer, Funmi Akinyele, on behalf of the NCC boss.
He affirmed that the commission “is committed to strengthening its regulation of the telecommunication sector.
“This is particularly with providing solid infrastructure and general industry regulations”.
Akinyele commended NCC’s regulatory excellence, highlighting its effort in ensuring frameworks and guidelines to guard telecoms sector and online space.
FBFI leader, however, expressed concerns about lack of control on the contents of social media.
She said the delegation had come to explore areas of collaboration in its programme to protect the digital civic space.
This, she said, is with a view to combating misinformation, disinformation and to mitigate risks to digital civic space.
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This initiative, she explained, comes under one of FBFI’s projects dubbed, Safeguarding Digital Civic Space for Electoral Integrity (SDSEI).
Responding to Akinyele’s remarks, Muoka said the commission was not responsible for the content of social media.
He, however, noted that “there are other government agencies that are responsible for that”.
He said NCC had engaged in several aspects of protection of the users of the internet.
These include initiatives towards Child Online Protection (COP), deployment of the Computer Security Incident Response Team (NCC-CSIRT) and setting up a unit to monitor cyber-attacks in Nigerian cyberspace.
“These are in addition to the activities of the commission’s department of New Media and Information Security set up to address issue of cybersecurity,” Muoka explained.
According to him, NCC has tried not to be a closed organisation.
“We give lots of premiums to consultations and collaborations, especially in the areas that will ensure consumers and stakeholders understand what is going on.
“We also encourage them make input that enriches the quality of regulations, as well as being able to access information they may require to safeguard themselves and the society.”
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