Ict/Telecom
Subscribers Welcome Ban On GSM Promos, Lotteries
Subscribers Welcome Ban On GSM Promos, Lotteries
GSM subscribers on Wednesday
welcome the ban placed on promos and lotteries by the industry regulator,
saying they preferred quality services to the freebies being offered by the
telecom operators.
President of
National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS), Chief Deolu
Ogunbanjo, told newsmen in Lagos, that
the ban was a “welcome development.”
‘’It is a welcome development, although it is a mixed
feeling for subscribers, because some subscribers are being empowered with the
lotteries and promos, and promos also bring down tariffs.
“However, we cannot compromise good quality for promos;
we prefer good quality services than promos. So there is nothing wrong with
what NCC had done,’’ Ogunbanjo said.
He said that promotions could resume when the operators
had stabilised the networks to the required capacities.
The NATCOMS President urged the telecom service
providers to do all within their capacities to offer their customers value for
money.
Also, an Information Technology (IT) expert, Mr Lanre
Ajayi, commended the NCC on the ban.
Ajayi, Chief Executive of Pinet Informatics, said in
Lagos that there was the need to reduce congestion on the networks for better
service experience. He said that network congestion was as a result of higher
demand than supply capacity as the networks were unable to carry the volume of
traffic.
“There are two ways to address congestion on the
networks: it is either you expand the networks capacities very quickly, so that
they can accommodate all the traffic.
“You can also reduce the traffic on them and a way of
reducing traffic on the networks is to limit those promotions,’’ said Ajayi,
who is also the President, Association of Telecommunications Company of
Nigeria.
He, however, called for a “slow down” on the promos,
saying that a complete ban might be inappropriate.
‘’The trend of the promo is about reducing tariffs and
giving incentives for people to make more calls; so, if you don’t lower those
tariffs beyond reasonable level, then unnecessary calls will not be made,’’ he
said.
Ajayi spoke in his personal capacity.
Mr Akinwale Goodluck, MTN Corporate Services Executive,
told NAN that the company just received a letter on the ban from NCC.
“We are still reviewing it and we will make our position
known in the next day or two,’’ Goodluck said.
Reacting to the ban, Mr Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of the
Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), said
that the telecom umpire had exercised its statutory duty as a regulator.
Our corespondent reports that the Nigerian
Communications Commission (NCC) on Monday announced the ban of all promotions
by telecommunications operators, as well as lotteries being carried out on the
GSM networks.
NCC Director of Public Affairs, Mr Tony Ojobo, said in a statement that the
ban, which took immediate effect, would remain in force until such a time as
might be determined by the Commission.
He said that recently, NCC had been inundated with
several complaints from consumers and industry stakeholders against the various
promotions offered by telecommunications operators.
According to him, the Commission carefully evaluated the
complaints received, especially against the backdrop of sustaining the
integrity of the networks.
He added that the complaints were evaluated in the
general interest of the consumers and against the backdrop of the
socio-economic impact of these promotions on operators and other relevant
stakeholders.
‘’Having observed that these promotions have increased the
number of minutes available to subscribers for use within a limited period of
time, thereby creating congestion in the networks as subscribers try to use up
the available minutes within the stipulated time.
‘’That on-net calls were now being offered by operators
at tariffs well below the prevailing inter-connect rates, thereby introducing
anti-competitive practices and behaviour.
‘’That termination of calls were becoming increasingly
difficult from one network to another and overall consumer experience on the
networks has become very poor, thereby making it extremely difficult for
subscribers to make calls successfully.
‘’The Commission, therefore, has banned all promotions
by telecommunications network operators, as well as lotteries being carried out
on such networks,’’ the NCC director said.
He said that the ban covered all proposed and approved
promotions and lotteries on which the Commission had given approval further to
the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) entered into with the National Lottery
Regulatory Commission (NLRC).
Our Correspondent reports that the telecom operators affected by the
ban include Globacom, MTN, Intercellar, Visafone, Etisalat, Airtel and
Multilinks.
The Managing Director, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Company Limited (SNEPCo), Elohor Aiboni, said Bonga, Nigeria’s first deep-water asset, has recorded major milestones, due to effective leadership, cutting-edge technology, continuous improvement and collaboration with stakeholders.
She noted that since coming on stream in November 2005, Bonga has maintained a track record of production that saw it achieve one-billion-barrel export on February 13, last year.
In her presentation, titled “The Bonga Journey to a Billion Barrels”, at the ongoing 2024 Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, Texas, United States, Aiboni, said: “SNEPCo is grateful for the contributions of all the parties to the Bonga story and we can all be proud of the milestones.
“Bonga has been consistent. In 2014, nine years after coming onstream, it achieved half a billion barrels of crude and doubled it in 2023. We have worked relentlessly to ensure excellent asset management, project and wells delivery and deployment of technology and innovations in our operations”.
According to her, these factors, “coupled with the supportive partnership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and our co-venturers – TotalEnergies, EP Nigeria Limited; Nigerian Agip Exploration; and Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, make Bonga stand out as a world-class investment case”.
She continued that, “SNEPCo also enjoyed the support of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) in the success of Bonga operations”.
Aiboni also listed the challenges of keeping the Bonga Floating Production, Storage and Offloading vessel full as the asset ages and dealing with unexpected developments with subsea wells and equipment.
She said: “SNEPCo responded with a campaign of operational excellence, which among other initiatives, led to the creation of a programme known as the Bonga Business Improvement Plan that continually reviews and identifies improvement initiatives and drives sustainability in operations and upskilling of staff.
“The Bonga success story has been led by Nigerians who have been managing directors of SNEPCo since it was established in 1993, in a deliberate policy by Shell to develop indigenous manpower for deep-water operations in Nigeria.
“Today, some 97percent of the SNEPCo workforce is Nigerian and overall, Bonga has helped to create a new generation of Nigerian deep-water professionals.
“Our vision at SNEPCo remains to be the best deep-water business, powering growth and achieving net zero emissions in line with Shell’s Powering Progress strategy”.
Banks’ borrowings from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) fell month-on-month, (MoM) by 44 percent to N12.16 trillion in April from N21.7 trillion in March.
Analysis of latest data from the CBN shows that the 44percent drop represents the first MoM decline in banks borrowing from since January when it increased by 268.7 percent to N3.6 trillion from N976.29 billion in December 2023.
However, further analysis showed that banks’ deposits in the CBN SDF grew MoM by 118.4 percent to N428.97 billion in April from N196.37 billion in March 2024.
Banks make use of the SLF to access liquidity to run their day-to-day business operations while the Standing Deposit Facility window (SDF) on the other hand, is an overnight deposit facility that allows banks to lodge excess liquidity (money) with the CBN and earn interest.
The decline in banks’ borrowing from SLF may reflect an increase in banking system liquidity and also the decision of the apex bank last year to remove the limit on the remunerable daily placements by banks at the SDF.
According to the CBN Governor, Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, the CBN removed the cap on the remunerable SDF to increase activity in the SDF window and manage liquidity.
A Financial technology expert, Olatunji Akinrinola, has highlighted the exponential growth of the FinTech industry, which according to him, was driven by technological advancements.
Akinrinola made this assertion in a press release recently, where he stressed that the role of technology in driving this exponential growth in the FinTech sector was very outstanding.
According to him, Technology has revolutionised the way financial services are delivered, making them more accessible, efficient, and inclusive.
“Through innovations such as mobile banking, digital payments, and blockchain technology, FinTech companies have been able to reach a larger population and provided them with access to financial services”, he stated.
Akinrinola emphasised the role of technology in enabling financial inclusion, adding: “Technology has democratised access to financial services, particularly in regions with limited banking infrastructure.
“Mobile money platforms and digital wallets have empowered individuals to conduct financial transactions conveniently and securely, without the need for traditional banking services”.
He also underscored the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data analytics in driving innovation within the FinTech industry, noting: “AI-powered algorithms and predictive analytics have revolutionised risk assessment, fraud detection, and customer personalisation in financial services.
“These technologies enable FinTech companies to provide tailored solutions and mitigate risks more effectively, ultimately enhancing the overall customer experience”.
Akinrinola stressed the importance of regulatory frameworks in fostering the growth of the FinTech industry.
“While technology has accelerated the growth of FinTech, it is essential to establish robust regulatory frameworks to ensure consumer protection and maintain market stability. Regulators play a crucial role in balancing innovation with risk management, thereby creating a conducive environment for the sustainable growth of the FinTech sector”, he stated.
Akinrinola underscored the role of technology in driving the exponential growth of the FinTech industry, saying, “Technology has been a game-changer for the FinTech sector, enabling innovation, expanding access to financial services, and driving economic growth.
“As technology continues to evolve, the FinTech industry will undoubtedly play a significant role in shaping the future of financial services ecosystem”.
Corlins Walter