Maida Harps on Big Data, Promises Collaboration to Consolidate 100 Days in Office

Abiodun Eromosele, Emma Okonji and Sunday Okobi

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, has stressed the need for telecommunications operators to leverage on big data analytics in making well informed decisions that will drive transparency and efficiency in the telecoms sector.

Maida said NCC would leverage on big data, collaboration, compliance and digital innovation as the next drivers that would guide the commission to achieve its goals in 2024.

The NCC boss, who said this yesterday in Lagos at a media parley to unveil his vision and strategies after his first 100 days in office, explained how he spent his first 100 days in office reflecting and engaging meaningfully with industry stakeholders in the telecoms industry, with the intent to understand the industry better.

According to him, “Having spent 100 days in office, I have decided to leverage on big data, industry collaboration, compliance and digital innovation to reposition the telecoms sector and move it to a greater height. Collaboration will be one of the drivers of NCC in 2004. Collaborating with industry stakeholders to further drive the telecoms sector, will be key to NCC and another key driver will be big data.”

 “We are living in a digital age, and as a regulator of the telecoms sector, we will leverage on big data analytics to make well informed decisions. We will be driving a lot of data of all industry stakeholders in order to have a high level of transparency and efficiency in both telecoms’ operations and regulations.

“Compliance and digital innovation will be another key driver for NCC. We will ensure that telecoms operators comply with every agreement reached among operators in terms of connectivity and network operations. We will leverage emerging technologies to drive digital innovation across networks in order to do more with less human efforts.”

Maida said NCC would take a different approach in achieving the goals, while focusing on three major stakeholders such the telecoms consumers, the operators/investors and the government.

“For the telecoms consumers, NCC shall ensure that they enjoy high level of telecoms service from all telecoms service providers and we will leverage big data to empower consumers to make the right choice. For the telecoms operators and investors, NCC will ensure that operators offer the best tariff that will drive high data usage among consumers.

“NCC will review operating standards, international best practices and corporate governance for telecoms operators. For the government, NCC will ensure an enabling environment that will promote the protection of critical national infrastructure and address the issues of multiple taxes imposed on telecoms operators by some government agencies,” he said.        

Fielding questions from journalists, Maida said NCC would empower licenced Infrastructure Companies (InfraCos) to do more in providing telecoms infrastructure for network expansion.

Responding to questions on Right of Ways (RoWs), where some state governments charge telecoms’ operators above the recommended N145/linear metre charge, Maida said states that charge above N145/linear metre do so because they remained autonomous according to Nigeria’s constitution.

He, however, said some states have declared zero charge for RoWs, while some still maintained the N145/linear metre, adding that the Broadband Alliance Group has a duty and an agenda to increase broadband connectivity across the country, while ensuring the RoW permit from state governments across the country.