The competition in the Telecoms industry will enhance the provision innovative and quality services to the consumers. This was the view expressed by the EVC/CEO of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, in his welcome address, read on his behalf, by the Director, Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis department, NCC, Mrs. Josephine Amuwa, at the stakeholders forum on the level of competition in the Telecom industry in Nigeria, held at the Digital Bridge Institute, DBI, Oshodi, Lagos, on May 2, 2018.
He stressed that the last time that this kind of study was conducted, was in 2013, when KPMG was commissioned t carry out the study and there is the need to undertake another study in order to have an update, due to effluxion of time. “The outcome of that assessment resulted in the definition of relevant market segments and a determination of dominance in some of those market segments,” he explained.
“The Commission has engaged the services of Messer’s CT Worx Limited, to conduct a study on the Level of Competition in the Nigerian Telecommunications Industry, using the 2013 as baseline year”, he said, while introducing the consultants employed to carry out the study this year.
The study, he stated, are supposed to achieve the following objectives:
a. Evaluate the current level of competition within the various market segments of the Nigerian telecommunications industry;
b. Identify the factors determining the degree of competition in telecommunications industry in Nigeria, with a focus on the degree of rivalry in the sector;
c. Evaluate the Commission’s interventions towards deepening Competition and identify areas that require improvements and benchmark these practices against international standards and good practices;
d. Identify indicators for evaluating the level of competition in the various Telecommunications market segments identified;
e. Identify any existing/plausible agreements, arrangements and practices amongst different licensees which constitute anti-competitive conduct, anti-competitive patterns and propose effective measure to address them; and
f. Determine dominance if any and propose obligations to be imposed on dominant operators in any market Segment where such is determined to exist.
The Project Leader of the team from Messer’s CT Worx Limited, Dr. Nathaniel Urama, made a presentation to the stakeholders, on the background information, scope of work expected to be carried out, as well as the methodology to be followed, in order to achieve the objectives.
The forum was attended by a cross section of service providers in the Telecom industry, NCC, the regulator of the industry, the President of ALTON, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo and members of the media community.
The consultants have a period of 5 months with which to submit its report.
