The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has maintained that it is not responsible for regulating social media networks’ contents some of which have recently sparked some controversies and many stakeholders have complained about.
The commission made this clarification when a delegation of the National Civil Society Council of Nigeria (NCSCN), led by its Executive Secretary, Amb. Blessing Akinsolotu, visited the NCC leadership to solicit its intervention in the worrisome and misleading contents of social media platforms.
He said: “We know that NCC, as the regulator of the telecoms industry, has greater role to play in helping to curb the spread of fake news and incendiary contents that Internet users put on social media platforms. Therefore, we want NCC to partner with us in this regard.”
The NCSCN boss noted that the situation required immediate intervention of key stakeholders to ensure that the contents of the social media and the Internet are not only credible but could be used to enhance national social cohesion.
Speaking at the event, the Director, Public Affairs of the commission, Mr. Reuben Muoka, who received the NCSCN leaders on behalf of the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, told the team that the Commission’s mandate didn’t extend to controlling the contents of such media platforms.
According to him, the major role of the telecom regulator is to facilitate the deployment of telecom infrastructure that provides different types of telecommunications services, including improving broadband that enhances robust Internet experience, ensuring fair competition as well as the protection of telecom consumers.
Mouka listed the commission’s mandate as including making services available, accessible and affordable for Nigerians who may leverage such access to engage in digital social mediation for the benefit of the individual, businesses, and the nation’s socioeconomic growth.
He pointed that in the performance of its functions, the Commission had been collaborating with different stakeholders such as the NCSCN in creating awareness and promoting access to different categories of consumers in the country.
This is even as he also assured the delegation that the Commission was looking forward to strengthening its collaboration with the NCSCN in its efforts to align with the aspirations of users of telecommunications services across the country.
Akinlosotu commended the Commission for its people-oriented and consumer-centric regulatory activities and expressed its readiness to collaborate with the NCC in the area of supporting its consumer enlightenment programmes
The civil advocacy expert also requested the commission to partner with the NCSCN in hosting a conference aimed at tackling the seemingly intractable diffusion of fake news, particularly on social media networks.
Photo Caption
L – R: Nafisa Rugga, Head, Digital Media, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC); Oscar Kalu, Director, Programmes and Organisation, National Civil Society Council of Nigeria (NCSCN); Nnena Ukoha, Head, Corporate Communications, NCC; Reuben Muoka, Director, Public Affairs, NCC; Amb. Blessing Akinlosotu, Executive Director, NCSCN; and Dr. Omoniyi Ibietan, Head, Media Relations, NCC, during a courtesy visit by the NCSCN to the Commission to seek areas of collaboration in Abuja recently
