Communication Commission urges control of Internet content

Dr Eugene Juwa
The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)

Communication Commission urges control of Internet content

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr Eugene Juwa, has called for the control of content that appears on the internet. 

Juwah said this on Wednesday in Geneva, Switzerland, where he is attending the 2011 Expo of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). 

In his words, “there has to be some measure of control on content in a volatile political situation where messages, anonymous messages, are coming through internet and exacerbating this volatile situation; it cannot be allowed.”

Juwah, who spoke against the backdrop of recent events in North Africa, said that regardless of who was in charge, it was necessary to have an authority in charge of the content of the internet. 

“We must find a way to regulate it; whether it is left to the regulators to do or to government, or to the service providers to do – it has to be worked out, but there has to be control of content,” he pointed out.

Improving GSM services

Juwah also spoke on the quality of the services which the GSM companies were rendering Nigerians, saying that only substantial investments could improve the situation. 

He said that although the networks were investing in improvement, they were still being hampered by legal requirements, especially on issues bordering on the environment.

He explained that in Nigeria, environment impact analysis takes 18 months - that means 18 months to build a base station – and pointed out that it was one of the major causes of the quality of services you are seeing, which to him is unacceptable.

On possible further reduction of tariff on GSM calls, the NCC boss explained that competition rather than the commission controlled tariff. 

“Our policy is that tariffs drop by competition and wherever competition takes it that is where it is going to stay,” he noted.

Dr. Juwa said that Nigeria was participating in the ITU event, with the intention of seeking investments from foreign investors on Nigeria’s broadband technology. 

NAN/Williams/Ekata