Page 83 - SAMENA Trends - October 2021

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

NCC, Other Regulators Move to Combat E-Fraud, Standardize Regional

Roaming Tariffs

best global practices. “I am very pleased
to see the excellent collaboration and
the sharing of workload between the
telecommunications body and personnel
within ECOWAS and WATRA. Their
roles have become complementary and
mutually reinforcing-policies legislative
frameworks that have been designed at
the ECOWAS level, while WATRA does the
follow-up work of information-sharing,
dialogue and learning dispersal amongst
regulatory authorities. It is indeed
becoming a well-articulated symphony,”
The Nigerian Communications Commission thus poorly recorded. Therefore, digitizing he added. Earlier in his welcome address,
(NCC) and other telecoms regulators under this trade through employing many forms the Executive Secretary of WATRA, Aliyu
the auspices of West African Telecoms of electronic payments is a significant Aboki, emphasized the value of a trusted
Regulators Assembly (WATRA) are set step towards formalizing, governing and digital economy to any nation. He cited a
to develop technical and regulatory boosting intra-ECOWAS trade activities. study by Accenture, which concludes that
modalities aimed at combating rising wave Our ambitions are to formalize informal “a trusted digital economy would stimulate
of electronic frauds, and standardizing trade, including agricultural commodities 2.8 per cent additional growth for major
regional roaming tariffs in the sub-region. as well as boosting intra-regional trade and firms, with the new transactions generated
This was the crux of a two-day meeting this requires us to improve collaboration totaling $5.2 trillion of value creation in the
organized by WATRA in collaboration on combating electronic fraud,” Danbatta economy,” hence, the establishment and
with the Economic Community of West said. Danbatta informed the delegates to operationalization of national and regional
Africa States (ECOWAS), which started the forum that electronic fraud is not just anti-fraud committee. Aboki commended
on October 26, 2021 at Rockview Hotel in an African or a West African issue but a ECOWAS for “allowing this regional sharing
Abuja. The meeting, which was attended global phenomenon. He cited studies that of the enormous task of building Digital
by representatives of telecoms regulators revealed 54 per cent of consumers in the ECOWAS to work very well through WATRA,
from countries across West Africa, European Union said they are most likely which is a regional manifestation of this
provided a platform for key participants to come across misleading/deceptive or collaborative structure”. The WATRA Chief
and stakeholders to deliberate on building fraudulent advertisements or offers on the restated that WATRA, as a mechanism for
a unified market in telecommunications Internet. On the regional roaming service, regional regulatory collaboration, will work
services in West Africa, to combat roaming the WATRA Chairman said the Assembly in unison and ensure its vision is speedily
and cyber-related frauds, and achieve the has the vision of a ‘Digital ECOWAS’ where executed by making sure that no nation in
standardization of roaming tariffs among improved sub-regional roaming regulation the region is left behind. Speaking at the
ECOWAS member-states. Addressing can help to facilitate an economic forum, the Acting Director, Digital Economy
stakeholders at the meeting, Executive integration in the region. “Our citizens, and Post, ECOWAS, Dr. Raphael Koffi,
Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba traders and companies will trade better noted that while e-fraud in the provision
Danbatta, who is also the Chairman of when they can use their telephones to call of communication services has always
WATRA, underscored the centrality of contacts in other ECOWAS countries and been an issue being collectively tackled,
the meeting by emphasizing that, as when they can use their data subscriptions variance in termination rates agreed
businesses move online, the fraudsters at no extra cost while travelling or doing in commercial roaming agreements
are also going digital. Danbatta, who was business within the region. So, reducing and has also constituted an obstacle to
represented by NCC’s Director, Technical eventually eliminating the cost of roaming harmonization of roaming tariffs which,
Standards and Network Integrity, Bako will also be a very significant contribution he said, collaboration between WATRA and
Wakil, said, based on this fact and in order to towards boosting trade within the region.” ECOWAS is set to achieve. Participants
give West African citizens and businesses The EVC expressed satisfaction at the level at the event were updated on the status
the confidence to fully take advantage of of collaboration among national regulatory of the implementation of the Removal of
the enormous benefits of Information and authorities in the sub-region on the one Surcharges on International Traffic (SIIT)
Communications Technology (ICT), there hand; and between WATRA and ECOWAS, on ECOWAS countries; establishment
was a need for regulators to tame and to achieve a common goal, on the other of a uniform tariff cap for roaming call
outpace the fraudsters. “About 75 per cent hand, describing such synergy as a great termination in the ECOWAS region, among
of trade within ECOWAS is informal, and indicator of progress and internalization of others.

83 OCTOBER 2021