Ict/Telecom
Telecoms Providers, Subscribers Lament Challenges
The concluding part of the story published Friday,
August 1, 2014.
Daniel also said the
company had reduced its Turn-Around Time, a period during which customers’ complaints are addressed, to less than one hour, as part of efforts to satisfy customers.
On differences in the cost of recharge cards in Gombe, he said the company had set up a committee to ensure uniform prices.
He said the company was using the media to sensitise the public to the services which Globacom offered as well as other issues that would improve its service delivery.
Miss Paula Paul, New Dawn Manager of MTN Trade Partner in Gombe, said the company had bought 3G network facility to increase the strength of its services, especially for those browsing on the network.
However, The Tide source revealed that as part of solutions to the various problems observed, operators like MTN, GLO and Etisalat have installed the 3G system.
GLO has also opened smaller offices in the headquarters of local government areas across the country to get their services closer to subscribers at the grass-roots level.
Subscribers, on their part, called on the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), as a regulatory body, to try and curtail the excesses of operators found to be short-changing subscribers.
The Director of Public Affairs, NCC, Mr Tony Ojobo, informed that subscribers had legal rights to call the hot line of the commission to report any ill treatment by the network providers across the country.
He said subscribers would have to ensure that the network provider actually short-changed by reporting first to the providers before calling on the NCC for intervention.
Ojobo also said that vandalism of facilities of network providers had been a big challenge to the sector and that there was a bill before the National Assembly to address the problem.
He also advised telephone users to get certified mobile phones whenever they purchase a new phone.
According to the NCC spokesman, epileptic services on the network are due partly to the fact that some mobile phones which the subscribers use do not have the capacity of receiving calls at a close range.
On telemarketing, Ojobo said, “it is global practice, hence, it is impossible to ban it in the country.’’
He said the commission tried to regulate the timing of such messages so as not to inconvenience subscribers, adding that the time was now restricted to between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
He urged subscribers who were still being inundated with such unsolicited text messages at odd hours to sue the telecoms operators involved for invasion of their privacy.
According to him, the NCC is watching the operators and anyone that flouts the regulation on telemarketing would be punished.
He said that apart from issues bordering on unsolicited SMS, consumers could also ‘take the telecoms firms to task’ on account of the poor services being rendered to them.
“I think time has come for people to assert their rights. It is only in the telecoms industry that the people want the regulator to do everything for them.
“People should also take up the responsibility at some point to demand their rights from their service providers. That is the point we have made; people can take the service providers to court.
“It is not everything that the regulator should handle. In order climes, people have gone to court for even lesser matters. “We need to be able to put our laws to test. It is a contract! Every network has a contractual obligation in its drive to provide services for members of the public,’’ Ojobo said.
The Corporate Service Executive of MTN Nigeria, Mr Wale Goodluck, said that the issue regarding capacity to accommodate subscribers was essentially in the hands of the operators.
Goodluck said that it behoved operators to have a good understanding of the demands of customers and to put in place the capacity to meet them.
“The good news is that operators have the resources to install the required capacity but the reality is that it is extremely difficult to put infrastructure on ground in our environment.
“The same infrastructure challenges that have bedevilled the power industry also affect the telecommunications industry,” he said.
Goodluck stressed that telecoms infrastructure could not exist in a vacuum as there ought to be a parallel growth in other sectors for full realisation of the benefits of the increased rollout.
The Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, Mr Gbenga Adebayo, said that the challenges in the sector remained enormous and had been hampering capacity rollout.
Adebayo cited the insecurity of telecoms infrastructure, a phenomenon which, he said, manifested prominently in the 2012 terror attacks on telecoms facilities in some parts of the country.
He said that the operators faced other challenges such as multiple taxation, difficulty in obtaining the Right of Way (RoW), as well as different levies imposed by some states and local governments.
Adebayo said that some of these issues hampered efforts to erect base stations that would boost the quality of services offered by service providers.
It would be recalled that no fewer than 30 base stations were bombed while several others were damaged in the 2012 terror attacks on telecoms installations, and some of the facilities have yet to be rebuilt due to lack of access to the sites.
Recent reports revealed that telecoms firms recorded a minimum of 70 cases of vandalism of its infrastructure monthly in different parts of the country.
Special Adviser to the Rivers State Governor on ICT, Engr. Goodlife Nmekini (right), presenting Ipad to Head of Department, Paediatrics, Braitwait Memorial Specialist Hospital, Port Harcourt, Dr. Ajibola Alabi (middle), during Governor Chibuike Ameachi’s inspection of installed ICT facility by the State ICT Department at the hospital recently. With them is Dr. Josephine Aiya.
The Managing Director, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Company Limited (SNEPCo), Elohor Aiboni, said Bonga, Nigeria’s first deep-water asset, has recorded major milestones, due to effective leadership, cutting-edge technology, continuous improvement and collaboration with stakeholders.
She noted that since coming on stream in November 2005, Bonga has maintained a track record of production that saw it achieve one-billion-barrel export on February 13, last year.
In her presentation, titled “The Bonga Journey to a Billion Barrels”, at the ongoing 2024 Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, Texas, United States, Aiboni, said: “SNEPCo is grateful for the contributions of all the parties to the Bonga story and we can all be proud of the milestones.
“Bonga has been consistent. In 2014, nine years after coming onstream, it achieved half a billion barrels of crude and doubled it in 2023. We have worked relentlessly to ensure excellent asset management, project and wells delivery and deployment of technology and innovations in our operations”.
According to her, these factors, “coupled with the supportive partnership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and our co-venturers – TotalEnergies, EP Nigeria Limited; Nigerian Agip Exploration; and Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, make Bonga stand out as a world-class investment case”.
She continued that, “SNEPCo also enjoyed the support of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in the success of Bonga operations”.
Aiboni also listed the challenges of keeping the Bonga Floating Production, Storage and Offloading vessel full as the asset ages and dealing with unexpected developments with subsea wells and equipment.
She said: “SNEPCo responded with a campaign of operational excellence, which among other initiatives, led to the creation of a programme known as the Bonga Business Improvement Plan that continually reviews and identifies improvement initiatives and drives sustainability in operations and upskilling of staff.
“The Bonga success story has been led by Nigerians who have been managing directors of SNEPCo since it was established in 1993, in a deliberate policy by Shell to develop indigenous manpower for deep-water operations in Nigeria.
“Today, some 97percent of the SNEPCo workforce is Nigerian and overall, Bonga has helped to create a new generation of Nigerian deep-water professionals.
“Our vision at SNEPCo remains to be the best deep-water business, powering growth and achieving net zero emissions in line with Shell’s Powering Progress strategy”.
Banks’ borrowings from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) fell month-on-month, (MoM) by 44 percent to N12.16 trillion in April from N21.7 trillion in March.
Analysis of latest data from the CBN shows that the 44percent drop represents the first MoM decline in banks borrowing from since January when it increased by 268.7 percent to N3.6 trillion from N976.29 billion in December 2023.
However, further analysis showed that banks’ deposits in the CBN SDF grew MoM by 118.4 percent to N428.97 billion in April from N196.37 billion in March 2024.
Banks make use of the SLF to access liquidity to run their day-to-day business operations while the Standing Deposit Facility window (SDF) on the other hand, is an overnight deposit facility that allows banks to lodge excess liquidity (money) with the CBN and earn interest.
The decline in banks’ borrowing from SLF may reflect an increase in banking system liquidity and also the decision of the apex bank last year to remove the limit on the remunerable daily placements by banks at the SDF.
According to the CBN Governor, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, the CBN removed the cap on the remunerable SDF to increase activity in the SDF window and manage liquidity.
A Financial technology expert, Olatunji Akinrinola, has highlighted the exponential growth of the FinTech industry, which according to him, was driven by technological advancements.
Akinrinola made this assertion in a press release recently, where he stressed that the role of technology in driving this exponential growth in the FinTech sector was very outstanding.
According to him, Technology has revolutionised the way financial services are delivered, making them more accessible, efficient, and inclusive.
“Through innovations such as mobile banking, digital payments, and blockchain technology, FinTech companies have been able to reach a larger population and provided them with access to financial services”, he stated.
Akinrinola emphasised the role of technology in enabling financial inclusion, adding: “Technology has democratised access to financial services, particularly in regions with limited banking infrastructure.
“Mobile money platforms and digital wallets have empowered individuals to conduct financial transactions conveniently and securely, without the need for traditional banking services”.
He also underscored the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data analytics in driving innovation within the FinTech industry, noting: “AI-powered algorithms and predictive analytics have revolutionised risk assessment, fraud detection, and customer personalisation in financial services.
“These technologies enable FinTech companies to provide tailored solutions and mitigate risks more effectively, ultimately enhancing the overall customer experience”.
Akinrinola stressed the importance of regulatory frameworks in fostering the growth of the FinTech industry.
“While technology has accelerated the growth of FinTech, it is essential to establish robust regulatory frameworks to ensure consumer protection and maintain market stability. Regulators play a crucial role in balancing innovation with risk management, thereby creating a conducive environment for the sustainable growth of the FinTech sector”, he stated.
Akinrinola underscored the role of technology in driving the exponential growth of the FinTech industry, saying, “Technology has been a game-changer for the FinTech sector, enabling innovation, expanding access to financial services, and driving economic growth.
“As technology continues to evolve, the FinTech industry will undoubtedly play a significant role in shaping the future of financial services ecosystem”.
Corlins Walter
