Telecom
NCC Extols VAS Contribution to Financial Inclusion
The Nigerian communications commission on Thursday said that the geometric increase in the number of Value Added Service (VAS) in the country has contributed in promoting financial inclusion policy of the government and the creation of wealth for many Nigerians.
Engr Maska Ubale, Executive Commissioner Technical Services, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).stated this at the 1st Annual Nigeria Value Added Service Stakeholder’s Forum, held on Thursday, in Lagos.
Engr Ubale, who was represented by Engr Bako Wakil, Deputy Director, NCC, stated that the increase is a reflection of how creative, innovative and enterprising we have become in providing solutions to our everyday needs.
He noted VAS riding on the back of telecoms infrastructure have been able to make life simple by the provision of services like payment of utility bills, mobile payment, promoting of financial inclusion policy of the government.
He explained that the commission has allocated short codes to about two hundred and thirty three (233) VAS licenses for the provision of different VAS services and that this has immensely enhanced service delivery in the Nigerian telecom industry.
Ubale emphasized that one of the cardinal agenda of the commission’s 8-point agenda is the facilitation of strategic collaboration and partnerships with stakeholders in VAS ecosystem.
According to him, “The VAS stakeholder’s forum is one of the many laudable initiatives embarked by the commission to develop effective partnerships and collaboration with relevant stakeholders for sustainable ICT development and social advancement.
“As the ICT ecosystem is transforming daily, VAS content developers and providers will have to collaborate and partner with other stakeholders in the telecom ecosystem, this will drive the development and proliferation of applications that will meet the needs of consumers.
“It is in this regards that the technical standards and network integrity department under the supervision of the executive commissioner, technical services organized this stakeholder’s forum.”
He added that the forum will create more awareness, guide participants in understanding the social and economic importance of VAS as well as assist them to understand the importance of collaboration and partnership in the new telecom world where content is king.
During his presentation titled: ‘Concerns on the impact of VAS to consumers’ Efosa Idehen, Director, Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement, NCC said that VAS is an integral component of the Nigerian telecom ecosystem necessary for optimizing the benefits of telecom services to consumers.
He revealed that Nigerian VAS market is presently valued at about N79 billion ($220 million) adding that it’s estimated to grow to about $500 million by 2021.
He noted that the VAS market has impacted positively and negatively on the consumers but noting that the positives far outweighs the negatives.
“Like every services there are both positive and negative impacts of VAS on consumers but the positives far outweighs the negatives.
“The commission therefore deems it fit to find a balance between enabling the opportunities that the VAS providers offer to consumers while at the same time mitigating the challenges or inconvenience they could constitute to other consumers.
“Thus, while service providers are licensed by the commission and are allowed to operate and provide value added services to consumers, the consumers are empowered through the DND facility to choose whether to allow or block access to these services on a full or partial basis,” he added.
Idehen, also bemoan operators on the barrage of unsolicited messages and the fraudulent deduction of consumers credit for VAS not subscribed for.
He added that consumers would like to see concrete action by the operators on the spam messages, fraudulent bank alert, forceful subscription and the menace of bulk sms and unsolicited messages.
He explained that the commission has taken necessary steps in order to mitigate against VAS related consumer complaints, stressing that the introduction of Do-Not-Disturb (DND) Number 2442, which empowers consumers to block all unsolicited messages and VAS services as one of the steps taken by the commission.