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Benjamin Babine, Abuja
Following the clamour by Nigerians for the reduction of data cost during nationwide lockdown, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, has called on telecommunications service providers to subsidise and reduce calls and data ratesfor Nigerians.
He said this on Tuesday, through his official Twitter handle “@DrIsaPantami”. Pantami said: “As earlier conveyed, as the Minister of Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy in charge of Policy of the Telecom Sector as in NCA, 2003, Part 1, I ‘urge’ Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), MTN, Glo, Airtel Nigeria, 9mobile, to ensure they further subsidise and relax calls/data for citizens in this critical time.”
Nigeria, according to the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), has over 174 million internet users. It was against this backdrop that the minister directed the NCC, the telecom regulators, to immediately work hand-in-hand with the telecoms operators and ensure a downward review of the price of data in Nigeria.
As earlier reported, many Nigerians had taken to social media to call on the telecommunications service providers to give free services due to the COVID-19 crisis and the lockdown ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The minister went on to demand improved quality of services provided as well as checking the illegal deduction of subscribers’ data.
Pantami added that the National Frequency Management Council established by NCA (2003) would allocate bulk spectrum to regulators for end-users, on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
‘’As conveyed last week, all network operators are ‘urged’ to be more generous to our citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic,’’ he said.
