BlogIT_Naija
Abridging the DigITal Divide Between 3G World & "Africa's Eco-hub."
Thursday 27 December 2007, 5:48 AM
Voice over IT–stakeholders berate GSM operators on QoS, rules of engagement
The claims by Nigeria’s leading telecoms operators that poor power generation in the country was responsible for the poor quality of service experienced in recent times in the sector has been regarded as unfounded by a foremost ICT figure.
In self-justification, almost all the mobile operators in the country have declared that because there is energy and power crisis in Nigeria, leading to low power generation, they have resorted to generating power themselves which is not enough to provide optimum level of service required in a robust and wide market economy like Nigeria.
But Engineer Bayo Banjo who doubles as the Managing Director of Disc Communications and 2nd Vice President of the Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), described the excuse as an ‘untenable subterfuge’, at a round table discussion after lead presentation at opening of the 12th edition of ATCON international exhibition and conference programme, NICOMM 2007.
He said rather than the poor energy story, the operators’ quest to make profit by all means was largely responsible for the poor turn out of telecom services that subscribers have come to grapple with in recent times.
“It’s laughable when operators harp on energy and power crisis in Nigeria each time they are confronted with poor services they are rendering to subscribers. But we know that power is not actually the real issue; the truth is that operators are not obeying the law and the regulator seems slow to wield the big stick. The quest to make huge profit is largely responsible because the operator, if what they are declaring as profits are true can even generate adequate power supply and still provide quality services at affordable prices.”
Earlier while declaring the event open, the President of ATCON, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem had wonder why any investor in Nigeria would not be happy to obey regulations, expand his investments and tap on numerous potential of good business climate that Nigeria has been blessed with.
According to Ekuwem, Nigeria is regarded as one of the fastest growing telecom markets in the world today and unarguably the fastest growing telecom market in Africa and is reputedly ranked with top ICT service hungry populations in the world. In his analysis, “Nigeria has a vibrant population of about 140 to 150 million dynamic human beings who can afford some basic ICT service. The local currency has a fairly strong local purchasing power; the enabling policies and laws are encouraging; the regulatory ambience is competent; those who took the lead to invest in 2000/2001 are bountifully reaping the fruits of their investments. It is one sector of our national economic life that we have not done badly – why will a would-be investor, local or foreign, tarry to invest in Nigeria?”
However he raised an alarm over the increasing rate of importing foreign content into the Nigerian market, saying that “the low level of local content in the telecom industry in particular and the ICT industry in general, is not encouraging – more than 90% of the materials used are imported; hardware, software, firmware, etc.
Do we even have a sufficient critical mass of highly skilled manpower?”
He advised that stakeholders in Nigerian economy should “let the next wave of growth in the industry be ICT market-targeted manufacturing and assembly of goods. Otherwise, its funny that we daily, flock the Customs warehouses in the ports (sea and air) to clear goods and carry same into the country for business. When will we begin the process of reversing the trend; that is, go to Customs warehouses to register goods for export?
I know our industry has done a lot in creating jobs; but I know that we can do more to alleviate poverty, create wealth, take a lot of boys and girls off the streets by creating jobs and contribute to a buoyant national well-being. We must not forget that there’re no self-made area-boys or area-girls, or militants, it is the economic situation that made them. Let all contribute to enhancing social security; at that time, we can say with confidence that this industry is sustainable.”
-Dis na Naija!
-doregos.
Tributes:
The Vanguard Newspaper - http://www.vanguardngr.com
In self-justification, almost all the mobile operators in the country have declared that because there is energy and power crisis in Nigeria, leading to low power generation, they have resorted to generating power themselves which is not enough to provide optimum level of service required in a robust and wide market economy like Nigeria.
But Engineer Bayo Banjo who doubles as the Managing Director of Disc Communications and 2nd Vice President of the Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), described the excuse as an ‘untenable subterfuge’, at a round table discussion after lead presentation at opening of the 12th edition of ATCON international exhibition and conference programme, NICOMM 2007.
He said rather than the poor energy story, the operators’ quest to make profit by all means was largely responsible for the poor turn out of telecom services that subscribers have come to grapple with in recent times.
“It’s laughable when operators harp on energy and power crisis in Nigeria each time they are confronted with poor services they are rendering to subscribers. But we know that power is not actually the real issue; the truth is that operators are not obeying the law and the regulator seems slow to wield the big stick. The quest to make huge profit is largely responsible because the operator, if what they are declaring as profits are true can even generate adequate power supply and still provide quality services at affordable prices.”
Earlier while declaring the event open, the President of ATCON, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem had wonder why any investor in Nigeria would not be happy to obey regulations, expand his investments and tap on numerous potential of good business climate that Nigeria has been blessed with.
According to Ekuwem, Nigeria is regarded as one of the fastest growing telecom markets in the world today and unarguably the fastest growing telecom market in Africa and is reputedly ranked with top ICT service hungry populations in the world. In his analysis, “Nigeria has a vibrant population of about 140 to 150 million dynamic human beings who can afford some basic ICT service. The local currency has a fairly strong local purchasing power; the enabling policies and laws are encouraging; the regulatory ambience is competent; those who took the lead to invest in 2000/2001 are bountifully reaping the fruits of their investments. It is one sector of our national economic life that we have not done badly – why will a would-be investor, local or foreign, tarry to invest in Nigeria?”
However he raised an alarm over the increasing rate of importing foreign content into the Nigerian market, saying that “the low level of local content in the telecom industry in particular and the ICT industry in general, is not encouraging – more than 90% of the materials used are imported; hardware, software, firmware, etc.
Do we even have a sufficient critical mass of highly skilled manpower?”
He advised that stakeholders in Nigerian economy should “let the next wave of growth in the industry be ICT market-targeted manufacturing and assembly of goods. Otherwise, its funny that we daily, flock the Customs warehouses in the ports (sea and air) to clear goods and carry same into the country for business. When will we begin the process of reversing the trend; that is, go to Customs warehouses to register goods for export?
I know our industry has done a lot in creating jobs; but I know that we can do more to alleviate poverty, create wealth, take a lot of boys and girls off the streets by creating jobs and contribute to a buoyant national well-being. We must not forget that there’re no self-made area-boys or area-girls, or militants, it is the economic situation that made them. Let all contribute to enhancing social security; at that time, we can say with confidence that this industry is sustainable.”
-Dis na Naija!
-doregos.
Tributes:
The Vanguard Newspaper - http://www.vanguardngr.com
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