Professor Umar Danbatta (Professor Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman of Nigerian Communications Commission delivered this keynote address on June 13, 2017 )
As a global phenomenon and platform
for knowledge, information and person to group communications, the social media
has come to shape our lives in very few exciting in remarkable ways.
Scholars (Lasswell 1927; Field 1991;
Klapper 1960; Cantril 2005) have demon-strated in varying degrees the power the
media could exercise on the individual and society. More recently, Castells
(2010; 2012), Mutsvairo (2016), and Jenkins et al (2016) have also shown both
the utilitarian purposes as well as changing nature of social media power,
particularly when they are deployed in certain contexts in combination with
other media.
The social media in particular have
become the perfect example of the democratisation of information and technology
with demonstrable capacity to migrate communication to interactive dialogue,
and social activation. This is greatly evident all around the world with
regards to its use for campaigns and enlightenment by political parties.
Socially, we are all witnesses to
the volume of information shared on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter,
WhatsApp, Blackberry Messenger and Instagram, to mention just a few among
several social media apps and platforms through which Nigerians interact ,
obtain information to meet their social needs to shape their behaviours and
enrich the quality of lives. Over 16million Nigerians are on the Facebook, the
highest in Africa, making Nigerians the most active users in the continent.
On the economic front, the Social
Media have become a market place of ideas and creativity. Products and services
are sold online, thus providing opportunity for start-ups to commence
businesses on a small scale. Many Nigerians, like citizens of other nations,
have honed amazing entrepreneurial skills to make a living through
opportunities provided by social media platforms, and have equally become
employers of labour. Huge financial transactions have been conducted by
individuals and organizations online. Banking transactions such as online
deposits and transfers, have made financial transactions easier. In the past it
was difficult to travel without physically going to transporting and tourism
organizations to make booking and other logistics.
The Country’s e-Commerce space is
growing tremendously, companies such as Yudala, Jumia, Konga and Jiji to
mention just a few, are online Malls recording huge patronage by online
customers. Also, the trove of information exchanged through social media by
individuals, groups and institutions has impacted on all spheres notably;
e-education, e-health, e-agriculture, crime prevention, and safety.
Politically, people have latched on
opportunities provided by the social media to exercise their rights to free
speech, to interact with their representatives, and make constructive
contributions to the political process in ways that were unimaginable just a decade
ago. As an Organization, NCC is elated at this development. The protection of
rights is a value that should be cherished by all individuals and institutions.
In pursuance of citizens’
engagement, the Management of NCC declared 2017 as the Year of the Nigerian
Telecom Consumer. The central purpose is to extend the frontiers of our
engagement with stakeholders, particularly the consumers that constitute the
lifeblood of the telecom industry. In doing so, we are recreating platforms for
conversation that will offer more information and education to the consumer to
tackle challenges experienced by subscribers to telecom services, and through
that, underscoring our resolve to protect the consumer against infractions by
service providers. The consumers-NCC engagement also enables the Commission get
feedback and suggestions that enriches our regulatory role and interventions in
the industry.
Suffice it to say that in driving
this programme, we have also deployed the social media to extend our reach and
engagement. It stands to reason therefore, that NCC as a public sector
organization, recognizes the value of social media networks in the society and
its power to disseminate information on real time basis globally. We appreciate
the importance of data as a key resource in knowledge-management. This explains
our decision at the Nigerian Communications Commission to enhance our strategic
activities in the facilitation of broadband deployment consistent with the the
National Broadband Plan.
Accordingly, to make data available
for all persons in Nigeria to access the internet and participate in the
emergent digital economy, the Commission has conducted the auction of the
2.3GHz and the 2.1GHz spectrums. Some slots in the 2.6 GHz have also been
licensed and the 800MHz is being re-planned for LTE services. All these are
frequencies that will guarantee a robust access the internet thereby empowering
citizens to utilize the social media networks.
In addition, in view of our
technology neutrality stance, the Management of the Commission is also
re-farming older frequencies held by operators to be used for data services.
NCC has considered giving operators the liberty to deploy spectrum resources
allocated optimally by utilizing Next generation technologies available in the global
market.
Two licences have been issued to
Infrastructure Companies (Infracos), to hasten deployment of fibre Optic
infrastructure in Lagos and the North Central Region of the country. The
remains licenses for other regions are being prepare for licensing before the
end of the year. This is one of our strategies for facilitating broadband
deployment. The Infraco licensing will attract necessary investments in
infrastructure to ensure support for the data segment and to ensure services
are offered based on objective prevailing prices.
The Commission is also engaging our
stakeholders such as the State Governors under the auspices of Nigeria
Governors Forum, and also individually as State Chief Executives to ensure
permits are granted to operators to deploy infrastruc-ture. Service providers
have been discouraged by exorbitant levies, taxes and other bottlenecks in the
States. So, we are persuading State Governments to see the long term benefits
of data availability and its relation to economic growth over and above
immediate gratification of more revenue.
The protection of infrastructure has
also been a matter of concern to NCC. Hence, we are consciously in the vanguard
of advocacy for the declaration of Telecom infrastructure as critical national
assets. This is one reason we are pushing for a speedy passage of the National
Critical Infrastructure Protection Bill by the National Assembly. The passage
of the Bill is expected to reduce vandalism and theft of equipment and
facilities to enable us to address a critical challenge to data availability
and quality of consumer experience.
In conclusion, although NCC adopts
technology-neutrality regime in its role, and will therefore not regulate
social media use of apps also referred as OTT’s, we nevertheless use our moral
authority to request that Nigerians take advantage of the social media
platforms to exchange information and participate in the political, social and
economic processes of our country in ways that promote peace and enable us to
build a more united and prosperous nation. The Cybercrimes Act 2015 already
defines offences in this sphere and stipulates punishments for breaches. As
responsible institution, we encourage a responsible and ethical use of the
Social Media for the good of all and the development of our country. On that
note, Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. I wish you very fruitful and
rewarding deliberation.
