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Tag: NCC

  • NCC seizes pirated works worth N926m

    NCC seizes pirated works worth N926m

    The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) says it has seized pirated materials worth about N926 million in the last eight months in Lagos metropolis.

    Mr. Obi Ezeilo, the Zonal Manager of the Commission, Lagos Office, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.

    He said that the seizures were made between January and August 2017 in several locations within the city.

    “NCC has scaled up its enforcement activities in the last eight months and we have seized pirated items to the tune of over N926 million, removed from containers at Apapa Port, warehouses and shops.

    “So, in terms of enforcement and prosecution, things have dramatically changed over the last eight months and the creative industry should be well aware of that.”

    According to him, 12 suspected pirates were arrested in the last eight months while 21 pending cases are in court.

    He said that the Commission had also closed case files of seven of the suspected pirates.

    Ezeilo said that three containers of pirated materials were seized at Apapa Terminal Port and in seven warehouses in Mushin, Ajegunle, Surulere and Amuwo-Odofin.

    The materials seized included cinematographic works, literary works, CDs and video CDs.

    He said that the commission would introduce a new legislation to strengthen the fight against piracy in the country.

    “The draft copyright bill is undergoing fine-tuning at the office of the Attorney-General.

    “We are hoping that when the new bill becomes law, it will help to make the copyright industry more vibrant, encourage more creativity and address the issue of piracy on the internet.

    “These are the sort of things we are hoping to achieve so that the industry will become a more vibrant industry and contribute more to the economy and the GDP of the country.’’

    Ezeilo said that the commission recently carried out another anti-piracy raid, tagged ‘Operation No Mercy’ at Yaba Book market in Lagos, suspected to be a piracy activity zone.

    “The anti-piracy raid was carried out following intelligence and surveillance report.

    “ They were accompanied on the raid by officers of the Nigeria Police.

    “The anti-piracy action proved to be successful as major literary book titles were seized and three suspects arrested.’’

    Ezeilo commended the unwavering support and collaborative efforts by the Nigeria Police and stakeholders in the copyright industry towards the fight against piracy in Lagos.

    NAN reports that the Copyright Decree No. 47 of 1988 established NCC in August 1989.

  • NCC seeks CAPDAN’s partnership against dumping

    Regulator of the telecoms sector, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), said it would partner with Computer and Allied Products Dealers Association of Nigeria (CAPDAN), to prevent Nigeria from being turned into dumping ground for fake/substandard devices.

    Its Executive Vice Chairman, Prof. Umaru Danbatta, who spoke during a tour of Computer Village, arguably Africa’s  largest Information and Communications Technology (ICT) accessory market, said the market for substandard device has become a source of worry to the regulator because of its effects on service quality.

    According to Danbatta, as a responsive and responsible Commission, it has the duty to protect the Nigerian citizens.

    Currently, the NCC restricts its role to type-approval of devices that come into the market. Sister Federal Government agencies such as the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have traded blame over which of them is responsible for the menace.

    But Danbatta said the NCC would sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CAPDAN, and partner it on all fronts to ensure consumers got value.

    The EVC also urged CAPDAN to put up measures that would aid both parties in addressing issues of phone and other devices cloning; substandard products, stressing that many mobile devices sold in the market are not type-approved by the NCC.

    He said unregistered mobile devices are not safe, and negatively affect the quality of service rendered by mobile network operators in the country. He reiterated that the NCC has huge responsibility to protect the consumers of telecoms services, stressing that it is “the reason we are calling on the CAPDAN to please support us to rid the market of unwanted elements peddling fake and substandard products.”

    Also speaking, the CAPDAN President, Ahmed Ojikutu, said members of the group were prepared to partner with the NCC to rid the industry of fake/substandard devices.

    According to him, the popular Computer Village, located at Otigba Street, Ikeja, Lagos, adds about N1.5billion daily to the economy, adding that it also provides the highest number of ICT solutions in the country and Africa at large.

    He said the market, which is also known as the Hardware Market of Africa, employs the largest number of graduates in any market in and out of the country.

    Ojikutu said CAPDAN has already partnered FONEREG to discourage theft and urged the NCC to make the initiative a national policy so that the menace of phone theft could be addressed.

    He appealed to the regulator to fast-track broadband deployment, noting that if the market is supported with the facility, it will improve business in the market by 25 per cent.

    Meanwhile, the booming smartphone market over the past decade has created a corresponding thriving handset repair industry across most countries, including Nigeria.

    Globally, according to Deloitte Global predictions, in 2016, consumers sold or traded in about 120 million used smartphones generating more than $17billion for the owners, at an average value of $140 per device. This is a 50 per cent increase from the 80 million smartphones traded in 2015, with a value of $11billion, or an average value of $135 per unit.

    Investigations showed that the rising popularity of expensive, but fragile, smartphones, with rising display sizes, has given the repair industry a huge boost since 2010.

    Today, an estimated 80 per cent of the mobile phone screen aftermarket is now supplied by China makers, with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)  providing the remainder. Driven by lower prices, acceptable quality and quick delivery, demand for Chinese LCDs has increased strongly over the past few years, and the OEMs are facing a significant slowdown.

     

  • NCC to subscribers: take advantage of 2442, 622

    NCC to subscribers: take advantage of 2442, 622

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC0 has advised telecoms subscribers in the country to take advantage of the Do Not Disturb (DND) code 2442 and its toll free line – 622, to report service providers that are not working their talk.

    Its Executive Vice Chairman, Prof Umar Danbatta who gave the advice while receiving a delegation from Kano University of Science and Technology (KUST) who paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja, expressed satisfaction with the level of response to the use of the DND code since it was unveiled pursuant to the decalration of this year as the year of consumers.

    The KUST delegation was led by the Deputy Vice Chancellor Administration, Dr Abdulhadi Aminu.

    He said: “This year has been dedicated to the telecoms consumer, and we’ve been busy from the beginning of the year, trying to educate the telecom consumers on how to protect themselves from unwholesome practices by the operators, especially the unsolicited text messages, as well as raising awareness on our toll free complaint line.

    “We have noticed a remarkable improvement in the level of activation of the facility as well as the level of awareness about 622 toll free complaint line. We have the statistics. The successes are there for all to see.”

    The NCC chief who congratulated the university on attaining full accreditation in all academic programmes, however, assured Nigerians that the commission will continue to be equitable and consider national spread in its ICT interventions in the country.

    The NCC had on March 15 launched the year of telecom consumer campaign designed to give concrete expression to the centrality of the consumer in the telecom ecosystem. Since then, it had embarked on aggressive enlightenment drive to educate and empower the consumers of the industry.

    The key components of the campaign include creation of greater awareness on Quality of Service; facts on electromagnetic fields radiation; the DND code which consumers can use to stop unsolicited text messages; and the NCC’s toll free line – 622 – through which consumers can reach the commission in cases where service providers fail to resolve their complaints.

    Earlier, Dr Aminu commended the NCC boss for his outstanding role in the development of both the telecoms and educational sectors of the country.

    Danbatta was the Acting Vice Chancellor of the KUST

  • NCC: Why subscriber figure keeps dipping

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has identified three reasons why active subscriber figures have kept going down in the country.

    Its Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management, Mr Sunday Dare, blamed the dip in active subscriber figures estimated at about 10 million on subscriber identity module (SIM) card churning, adding that some subscribers buy SIMs, register them only to dump them later.

    Speaking with ICT reporters in Lagos, he said the industry has attained technology consolidation, a development that allows the subscribers to do so many things with their smartphones.

    He said with one SIM card on a smartphone, it is now possible to make voice calls and subscribe to data bundles to navigate the web.

    This was near impossible at the beginning of the telecoms revolution which saw the preponderance of feature phones.

    Now with smartphone, it is possible to take advantage of over the top (OTT) services provided by Google, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and many other applications.

    The Executive Commissioner also blamed the economic recession that swept through the country for the drop in subscribers figures. He said the recession took a terrific toll on subscribers’ total disposable income, adding that it inevitably affected people’s approach to telecoms as efforts by families were shifted to picking essential bills. Telecoms subscribers number has continued to drop consistently from 155 million in January this year, to 143 million as at the end of June this year, according to the recent statistics released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the telecoms industry regulator.

    According to figures obtained from NCC’s website, subscriber number had in January this year, reaked at 155 million active subscribers across all networks, but the figures began to drop consistently from 155 million in January, to 143 million in June this year.

    The consistent drop in subscriber number also reflected in the drop in subscriber teledensity from 110.8 per cent in January, to 102.19 per cent in June this year.

    Teledensity in technical terms is the number of active telephone connections per 100 inhabitants living in a particular area, and expressed in percentage.

    The regulator however said it is worried about the consiatent dip in the figures.

     

     

  • Substandard phones responsible for cancer ailments, NCC warns

    Substandard phones responsible for cancer ailments, NCC warns

    Nigerians have been warned to refrain from using substandard phones. Reason: it is responsible for some cancer ailments, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said yesterday.

    An official of the commission, Mr  Kunle Olorundare, gave the warning at a stakeholders workshop organised by the Ibadan Zonal office of the NCC in Ado Ekiti.

    Olorundare, who lamented that fake phones had taken over the country’s phone market, added that such phones have had negative implications on the health of their users.

    The NCC official also identified unapproved phones as a major cause of network interruptions.

    He said the preponderance of substandard phones was causing colossal damage to network services and health of users.

    Olorundare warned that sellers of unapproved Information and Communication Technology (ICT) products were flouting the commission’s Act.

    He said they could face prosecution or seizure of their market items if they did not desist from selling such henceforth.

    Olorundare also advised phone sellers across the country to ensure the phones they buy from manufacturers and dealers were approved by the NCC.

    He added that the NCC had a list of all Information and Communication ICT products approved for sale and use in Nigeria.

    Another official of the commission, who represented the Head of Zonal Operations in Abuja, Mr. Ekisola Oladosu, promised that the NCC would do all within its powers to check the proliferation of substandard phones.

    He noted that the task of sanitising the Nigerian phone market rested on all stakeholders, and called on Nigerians to support the campaign.

  • NCC, FCT partner on telecoms infrastructure

    The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta has met with the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Muhammed Musa Bello to discuss how best to ensure the deployment of telecoms infrastructure to the city that houses the three arms of government.

    Danbatta identified a number of challenges that have denied the FCT the best telecoms services, especially with quality of service (QoS).

    “We have come because, we believe that with the progressive style of your administration, these challenges will be resolved for the benefit of the government, the residents and national telecommunications development,” Danbatta explained.

    According to a statement endorsed by Director, Public Affairs at NCC, Tony Ojobo, these challenges include inability of operators to co-locate because the sites offered for co-location are inadequate and do not suit the technical specifications of carrers.

    He advised carriers be involved in determining allocation sites to ensure that the identified sites meet network and radio frequency standards of all stakeholders.

    Danbatta also listed the 2006 fee regime of the FCTA which still exists and the astronomical rise in fees for building permits imposed on operators by the FCTA.

    The others include retrospective FCTA laws that affect telecom facilities and activities of road construction companies in the city.

    He also listed delayed approval for installation of base stations/fibre deployments, implementation of National Economic Council (NEC) resolution on multiple taxation, levies and charges on ICT infrastructure as part of the challenges faced by operators in the city.

    On the 2006 fee regime of FCTA, he said it was agreed in a meeting between operators, FCTA and NCC that year that the Federal Capital Administration would meet and harmonise positions on the astronomical increase in fees for building permits imposed by FCTA.

    “This has not been done and operators have continued to receive bills from the Administration based on the 2006 rates.  Therefore, we request your approval to establish a committee made up of officers of the FCT and the NCC to resolve issues relating to charges to ensure rates agreed are cost based and comparable to what FCTA charges are, for other users of properties” Prof. Danbatta appealed to the Minister.

    On the retrospective FCT laws that affected telecom facilities, the NCC boss said any law or policy by the FCTA that affect telecom facilities should not be made retroactive.

    “We have observed that the fact that telecom services in the FCT were not envisaged during its initial planning has resulted in administrators approaching telecom facilities as a normal property and visiting them with regulations that should not be applicable. We therefore request that approval be given to all existing BTS in the FCTA except those that clearly pose a danger to its surrounding”. he said.

    He also told the minister that the operators had complained to FCDA engineering department about frequent cuts of their fibre lines by road construction companies in the FCT. “These frequent cuts of fibres have resulted in total loss of services by subscribers and have added to the problem of poor quality of service in the FCT. Despite the efforts put in by the engineering department of the FCDA to address the complaints, the cuts have continued unabated, road construction companies should be enjoined to exercise extreme caution to ensure reduction or total elimination of fibre cuts,” he advised.

    On delayed approval for installation of base stations, he said there were causes of applications for installations of base stations in Abuja that have been pending since 2014 and beyond.

    The NCC chief said the quarterly contribution of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has increased to N1.6trillion from N1.4 trillion.

    He added that the ICT sector was now contributing close to 10 per cent to the GDP yearly.

    The country, he added recorded an increase in internet users hitting 92 million as at June.

    He said that broadband penetration was expected to hit 30 per cent next year, and that would further increase the number of internet users in the country.

    “Telecommunications has attracted more than $68billion in private sector investment since 2001” he said.

    The FCT Minister, Mallam Musa Bello, however promised that the capital city’s administration would collaborate with the NCC to overcome those challenges.

    “Part of our job is to ease businesses and increase investment in the city and the country at large.  We would support you in ensuring there is always increase in broadband penetration across the country,” Mallam Bello said.

    He promised to set up committee to look into all complaints raised by the NCC.

  • NCC to minister: facilitate broadband infrastructure deployment

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has urged the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Malam Mohammed Bello to assist in resolving the challenges inhibiting the deployment of broadband infrastructures in the city.

    Its Executive Vice Chairman, Prof Umar Danbatta, who led the management team of the Commission to the minister, lamented that the “FCT appears to have some of the most challenging issues with quality of service”.

    Also on the team was the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management, Mr Sunday Dare, the Director of Public Affairs, Mr Tony Ojobo and other top officials of the Commission.

    Dambatta said the visit has become imperative given the fact that the contribution of the telecoms sector to the economy has become so important. He listed some of these contributions to include the more than $68 billion private sector investments it has attracted to the country since 2001.

    According to him, the number of mobile and fixed line subscribers have averaged 150 million within the first six months of this year, while internet access stands at 92 million as at June 2017 and ICT contribution to the GDP is close to 10 per cent.

    Danbatta, who said the NCC would strive to attain 30 per cent broadband penetration by 2018, however, said the feat cannot be achieved without the support of the FCT administration.

    “It is interesting to note that FCT belongs to the first set of two zones (North Central and Lagos) where the commission has issued Infraco licenses to enable broadband deployment in all parts of the federation using the Open Access Model,” he said.

    Dambatta continued: “Given the status of the FCT today in the scheme of things, it ought to be the city with the best telecommunications connectivity. But the reverse is the case and has been so for several years now.

    “This presents us with the reality that our FCT has some challenges that may deny it the opportunity of the revolution in the ICT of the future.”

    He listed the challenges as collocation of telecoms base stations in the FCT, the fee regime, retroactive FCTA laws that affect telecom facilities, activities of road construction companies with attendant damages and cuts of fibre lines and delayed approval for installation of base stations and fibre deployments.

    Prof Danbatta further said the implementation of the national economic council resolutions on multiple taxation, levies and charges on ICT infrastructures also inhibit the operations of telecom companies in the FCT, noting that “some service providers have indicated that the FCTA collects more than 100 per cent of some charges prescribed in that resolution”.

    Prof Danbatta urged the FCT administration to look into the issues with a view to address them for the growth and development of the telecommunication industry in the country.

    Mallam Bello, in his remarks, described NCC management visit  as timely, noting that issues raised by the NCC boss were of great concern to the FCT administration.

     

  • NCC confiscates N1bn worth of pirated goods

    The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), has confiscated 1,289,344 pirated materials in six months.

    The materials worth N1.2billion include pirated literary, musical, software and broadcast gadgets.

    The Commission also said it has arrested 48 suspected pirates from different parts of the country.

    This is contained in the 2017 first and second quarter report made available in Abuja yesterday by the Commission.

    The report reads: “The total of 1,289,344 units of suspected Pirated literary, musical, software and broadcast gadgets valued at N1,216,531, 600 belonging to different copyrights holders has been confiscatedby the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) within January and June, 2017.

    “The seizures, carried out after 80 surveillances and 26 antipiracy operations saw the arrest of 48 suspected pirates from across the country.”

    The Commission also said it has  secured two convictions against film and book pirates at the Federal High Court, Lagos and instituted five fresh cases against copyright infringers in different Federal High Court Jurisdiction across the Country.

    The Director-General of the Commission, Afam Ezekude said that the impounded items represent income that would have been lost by  legitimate rights owners and taxable income revenue that would have been lost by the Federal government.

    Ezekude also stated that the Commission has intensified its inspection and monitoring exercise in piracy endemic outlets across the country.

  • Danbatta seeks passage of Data Protection, Electronic Transaction bills

    Danbatta seeks passage of Data Protection, Electronic Transaction bills

    • Subscribers advised to report unsolicited SMS

    Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Prof Umar Danbatta yesterday called for the passage of the harmonised Data Protection Bill and the Electronic Transaction Bill into Law.

    He urged Nigerians to report cases of unsolicited messages from service provides to the commission for action.

    Danbatta spoke in Lagos at a breakout session on “The business of cyber law” at the ongoing Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

    The Data Protection Bill, he said, proposes a comprehensive framework governing collection, processing and safeguarding personal data.

    He said the Electronic Transaction Bill, which proposes a framework for proof and admissibility of electronic transactions in court, was still pending at the National Assembly.

    He urged NBA to support effort towards passage of the bills into law.

    On how to stop receipt of unsolicited short messages from GSM service providers, Danbatta urged subscribers to send STOP to 2442.

    If the messages keep coming afterwards, he said the subscriber should call NCC through the toll free line: 622 to lodge a complaint.

    Danbatta said by also sending HELP to 2442, subscribers can choose the type of messages they want.

    According to him, NCC would ensure the refund of money lost through unsolicited text messages or unsubscribed services.

    “I also suffer the same menace,” he said with regards to invasion of privacy.

    Danbatta urged law enforcement agencies to monitor and ensure full implementation and compliance with the existing laws.

    “Organisations at all levels should devote enough resources to information security as a national digital security concern,” he said.

    Danbatta called for capacity building for officers, prosecutors, judges and attorneys-general in cybercrime, as well as for standardised cyber insurance policies.

    “Data end to end encryption should be encouraged,” he said.

    The NCC Executive Vice Chairman said data privacy was a major concern, adding that the NCC Act empowers the commission to take necessary measures to protect consumers.

    “The notion of cyber security and protection of privacy under the cyber law is a journey and not a destination. Nigeria’s speed is good, but more is required.

    “A society characterised by the guarantee of safety and privacy, and low levels of cyber crimes, shall ultimately facilitate Nigeria’s target of being among the top 20 economies by 2020,” he said.

    Former NBA president Augustine Alegeh (SAN), who chaired the session, said there was already a legal framework in place; the challenge was implementing the laws and policies.

  • Nigeria ranks third in global internet crimes behind UK, U.S., says NCC

    Nigeria ranks third in global internet crimes behind UK, U.S., says NCC

    The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says Nigeria currently ranks third globally in cyber crimes behind the UK and the U.S.

    NCC’s Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Umar Danbatta, disclosed this on Tuesday at the ongoing 2017 Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Lagos.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference’ theme is: “African Business: Penetrating through Institution Building”.

    Danbatta, at a breakout session with the sub-theme: “The Business of Cyber Law, Internet Policy and Privacy Rights”, moderated by Mr Augustine Alegeh (SAN) a former NBA President, said the number of internet users in Nigeria has hit 91.6 million.

    “About N127 billion was the estimated loss to cybercrime in Nigeria in 2015; Nigeria ranks third in global internet crimes behind the UK and U.S.

    “A critical factor militating against Africa’s economic resurgence is the weakness of its institutions.

    “Nigeria ranks 169 out of 199 on the World Bank’s ease of doing business rankings; we are in a middle of a revolution and the rise of what we call the networked society.

    “The NCC stipulates the laws of engagement that will make the cyberspace safe and ensure the confidence as well as the safety of the cyberspace,” Danbatta, a panelist, said.

    “There are benefits and risks of the use of cyberspace and both has to be properly managed.”

    NAN reports that other panelists at the breakout session were Mr Bayo Adekanmi, the Chief Transformation Officer of MTN and Ms Ibikun Abidoye, the legal counsel of Chocolate City Group.

    Others are Ms Sascha Grimme, the Associate Solicitor of Cooley LLP, a UK-based Lawfirm; and Mr Bisi Adebutu of Premier Lotto, also known as ‘Baba Ijebu.’

    In his remarks, Adebutu gave insight into the challenges Premier Lotto faced in conducting transactions on the cyberspace.

    “Premier Lotto has moved from the streets to the internet, we have faced certain challenges including paying those who do business with us.

    “The cyber laws are not favourable to our business, Premier Lotto ranks as the fourth most visited site in the country.

    “We have no easy way of verifying or identifying the owner of cards used to transact business.

    “In Nigeria, the business of giving is just emerging, and it is important that we respect the privacy of our clients when they interact with us through the use of usernames and passwords.

    “Gaming is very popular on the internet and fraud is one to the challenges we have; if we apprehend an individual trying to perpetuate fraud, we block their access to us.

    “We also have challenges of having to discipline offenders and the cyber laws have to be properly identified and implemented to appropriately punish offenders,” Adebutu said.

    In her contributions, Grimme said:“Threats and perpetrators of cyber crimes and the motives behind the cyber attacks have to be properly identified.

    “There are challenges in identifying perpetrators of cyber crimes; even when identified, there have been instances where they stay in different jurisdictions making prosecution difficult.”

    Adekanmi, while speaking, noted that there is an ongoing online revolution happening in modern times, and that online security was very important.

    “There is going to be what I call a technology apocalypse, you will wake up one day and someone is living your life somewhere.

    “Someone once said that identity theft is worse than kidnapping, there is a thin line between privacy and security in modern business,” the MTN executive said.

    On his part, Abiloye, who discussed copyright challenges in the nation’s music industry, said the general perception of copyright is that its incentive is to encourage people to create.

    “There is a public slant to copyright; there are a lot of cases about unfair use of copyright.”