The Minister of Communications, Dr Isa Pantami, has directed telecommunication companies in the country through the Nigerian Communications Commission to reduce the prices of data being offered subscribers.
He as well ordered the commission to put a stop to ‘illegal’ deduction of subscribers’ data by the telecommunication companies.
Personal Assistant to the Minister on New Media, Yusuf Abubakar, who disclosed the development recently, said Pantami gave the directives after he received a progress report on the implementation of Short-Term Performance Targets set for the NCC.
The minister was said to be worried that Nigerians were paying so much for data without enjoying value for money spent.
“According to the report from a UK-based price comparison website – Cable, Nigeria is not among the top 10 African countries with low average price of data, a position the Minister of Communications, Dr Isa Pantami, finds worrisome considering the fact that the country has over 174 million internet users made public by the Nigerian Communications Commission.
“The minister also finds it unacceptable that with the prevailing high cost of data in Nigeria, the citizens still do not enjoy value for money as subscribers battle daily with illegal deduction of data, poor quality of service, among others.
“It is against this backdrop that the minister directed the NCC, the telecom regulators, to immediately work hand in hand with the telecom operators and ensure a downward review of the price of data in Nigeria, improved quality of service provided and check the illegal deduction of subscribers’ data,” parts of a statement signed by Abubakar read.
Pantami, according to Abubakar, directed Galaxy Backbone to leverage the advantage it had as a government-funded entity to deliver effective and efficient services in order to attract more revenue for the government.
“The minister reminded the management of Galaxy Backbone Plc that the Nigerian government invested in the enterprise to reap the dividend of its investment.”
He challenged Galaxy Backbone Plc to ensure that more ministries, department and agencies patronised its services.
