TheCable

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has inaugurated a committee to develop an effective way to manage consumer complaints.

Chaired by Ismail Adedigba, head of NCC’s Consumer Affairs Bureau (CAB), the 12-man committee was inaugurated on Tuesday in Abuja.

Adeleke Adewolu, NCC’s executive commissioner for stakeholder management, said consumers have adopted the use of non-traditional media to engage the commission and seek redress.

Adewolu said one of the primary responsibilities of the commission is the protection of consumers’ interest and has, over the years, used direct and indirect channels to get information on the services offered by telecom licensees.

According to him, mobile network operators now provide 24-hour services to instantly respond to consumers via social media platforms.

“As the regulator, the NCC cannot be left behind. We must carefully coordinate the activities carried out through the traditional engagement channels and the social media platforms in order to effectively and efficiently deliver on the commission’s mandate of protecting, informing and educating (PIE Mandate) the consumers in line with the cost-cutting measures prescribed by the federal government,” he said.

As stated by the executive commissioner, the committee’s mandate would be to review of existing consumer affairs outreach programmes with a view to coming up with improved ways of disseminating information to consumers.

It also includes developing collaborative mechanisms between the CAB and the public affairs departments towards executing consumer outreach programmes using online social media platforms.