By Onyintutu
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has called for a shift in perspective, urging stakeholders to view the telecom sector as an Economic Enabler not just a revenue source for the government.
The Executive Vice Chairman, Dr Aminu Maida, said this during a media breakfast meeting on Friday in Abuja.
Maida emphasized that the sector’s true value lies in boosting productivity across agriculture, manufacturing, and finance.
“ I think we also need to start looking at the sector differently, because this sector is an enabler of the digital economy”, he said.
“As the sector grows, not only will the operators in the sector contribute more in taxes, but it will lead to increased productivity within other sectors.
“ I mean we’ve seen that clearly in the financial sector, how the sector will be able to take comfort with digital payments, but there’s so much opportunity in areas like agriculture, manufacturing”.
He further noted that the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) recently commended the sector for its significant tax contributions.
He added that Nigeria has experienced a 170% increase in data consumption over the last two years.
However, he maintained that the sector’s most vital contribution to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is its role as the infrastructure backbone for the entire digital economy.
Beyond economic policy, Maida addressed the human side of the digital explosion, calling on Nigerian parents to take a more active role in monitoring their children’s digital footprint.
He emphasized that while the government is strengthening regulations like the Internet Code of Practice, the first line of defense begins at home.
He urged parents to move from a place of fear to a place of proactive supervision.
“I wouldn’t say that I’m scared but I would say that I’m alert. As a responsible parent, my children don’t use my phone.
“The phones they have have restrictions on what they can access, we are all working together to try and ensure that not only our children, but also those who are not as digitally literate as some of us are protected from these harms in society.”
Addressing the risks surrounding One-Time Passwords (OTPs) and digital security, Maida revealed that the Commission is working to protect users from “SIM swap” fraud and recycled number vulnerabilities.
He added that the NCC is extending this protection beyond just banks.
“And we’re also collaborating with some of these OTT providers to see how they can help us, also ask people to re-authenticate when the numbers are recycled.
“And once we’re done with the financial sector, we’re going to move on to other sectors, whether it’s pension, or even the education sector, like jamb.
He explained that through a new partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the NCC is using the Telecom Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS) to protect users.
