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NCC moves to tackle e-waste with new regulation

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said it is concluding a process of issuing a regulation on electronic wastes to minimise the health risks to Nigerians. The Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Umar. Danbatta, disclosed this at a virtual press conference to mark this year’s World Consumer Rights Day with the theme: “Tackling Plastic Pollution.” According to Danbatta, the telecoms regulator is mindful of the fact that many ICT and telecom devices have plastic components, whose waste materials could worsen plastic pollution. “We reckon that improper disposal of such disused ICTplastic embedded products has grave implication on public health, and especially in achieving Goals 11, 12 and 13 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030.

“These goals speak to the imperative of adhering to practices that enhance Sustainable Cities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production; as well as Climate Action respectively,” he said. The EVC said the objective of the regulation was to manage E-Waste; promote reuse, recycling and other forms of recovery; improve environmental managementntnt system of operators in the telecom industry; and reduce greenhouse emissions as well as enhance sustainable development efforts. He added that the commission, worried by the recurrent cycle of fraudulent deployment of fake and substandard mobile devices, usually made of iron and plastic components, had collaborated with the Office of the National Security Adviser and other relevant government agencies to inaugurate a committee to implement Mobile Devices Management Systems (DMS).

“This initiative is designed as a public-private partnership aimed at combating the proliferation of fake, counterfeit, substandard and cloned communication devices in the telecommunications industry. “The expected result of this initiative is that, only genuine materials malleable to enduring usage are available for consumer use.

“The commission also implemented a strict typeapproval process that ensures all equipment used in the telecommunications industry are of a suitable standard, both for the good of the consumers and for the preservation of our environment,” he said. Speaking earlier on move to ensure that all phones in the country are type-approved, Danbatta warned Nigerians not to buy any phone that has not been certified for the market by the regulator. The EVC, who frowned at the proliferation of counterfeit handsets in the country, said the menace of counterfeit and substandard handsets had assumed a global dimension and requires a lot of education on the part of the consumers and the collaboration with other government agencies to address it.

He enjoined telecoms consumers to check the commission’s official website to find the list of type-approved phones from which they can make their choices of handsets to purchase. “Cases of influx and patronage of counterfeit handsets are more rampant in developing countries, such as Nigeria, where importers bring in substandard phones without recourse to the regu-latory type-approval process aimed at certifying such devices as fit for the market,” he noted. According to him, the commission is empowered by the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003, Section 132 to establish and enforce standards for all telecommunications equipment in operation in Nigeria to ensure that they operate seamlessly and safely within the Nigerian telecommunications environment.

“As such, all equipment manufacturers, vendors and operators, including customer devices such as mobile phones and wireless adapters, must, therefore, ensure that their equipment conforms to the applicable standards as mandated by the Commission before bringing them into Nigeria,” he said. Danbatta added that NCC was also saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that the consumer enjoys his or her stake in the telecommunications industry.

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