TheCable

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says telecommunications firms may pay over N16 billion to subscribers as compensation for sending unsolicited text messages to them.

According to Nigeria Communications Week, Umar Danbatta, executive vice-chairman of NCC, said this at the World Consumer Right Day (WCRD) 2017 in Abuja.

Danbatta advised subscribers to report such incidents to the NCC and if it continued, necessary sanctions will be taken against the telecommunications provider.

Telecommunication service providers were in September 2016 instructed to activate their Do-Not-Disturb facility, which gives subscribers the freedom to choose the messages they receive.

Speaking on Wednesday, the vice-chairman said any telecommunications provider that breaches DND risks being fined the sum of N5 million and compensation would go to the affected subscriber.

He said that for a breach to be established, a subscriber must have sent a message, ‘STOP’, to a short code ‘2442’ to opt out of the service.

“If the messages keep coming into your phone, send a message of complaint to NCC to a short code ‘622’ or call the short code. If that continues, necessary sanction will be undertaken,” Danbatta said.

He pointed out the need to enlighten Nigerians of their rights and on the usage of the ‘622’ short code.

Danbatta further disclosed that Nigerian telecommunications subscribers spent $5.6 billion in 2015.

The figure rose to $6.6 billion in 2016, he said.