The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has taken its consumer protection campaign to corps members at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camps in Nasarawa and Niger States, sensitising them on issues around data depletion, smart data management, and consumer rights in the telecom sector.
Officials of the Commission, on August 7, 2025, visited the Magaji Dan-Yamusa Permanent Orientation Camp in Keffi, Nasarawa State, and the NYSC Orientation Camp in Paiko, Niger State. The sensitisation exercise featured quiz competitions where corps members won prizes such as power banks, airtime, and data subscriptions.
As part of its corporate social responsibility, the NCC also donated three bags of 50kg rice and three 25-litre gallons of vegetable oil each to the NYSC in both states. The items were received by the NYSC State Coordinator in Nasarawa, Hajiya Salamatu Mohammed, and her Niger State counterpart, Mrs. Martina Shuaibu-Ibrahim.
Speaking at the programme through its officials, the Director of the Consumer Affairs Bureau of the NCC, Mrs. Freda Ruth Bruce-Bennett, noted that the sensitisation was aimed at addressing increasing consumer concerns over data depletion.
She explained that internet subscriptions in Nigeria had risen from 105 million in 2018 to 142 million as of January 2025, with growing complaints about unexplained data usage. According to her, while the Commission is working with service providers to improve billing transparency and quality of service, consumers also need to adopt smart data management practices.
Bruce-Bennett listed activities such as video streaming, social media usage, automatic app updates, GPS services, and hotspot sharing as major contributors to data consumption. She urged corps members to embrace measures like monitoring data usage, restricting background data, using Wi-Fi, downloading content for offline use, enabling data-saving modes, and turning off location services when not in use.
“Young Nigerians are key agents of change,” she said, encouraging corps members to act as consumer champions by spreading awareness on consumer rights, reporting telecom challenges, and engaging with NCC’s platforms for better service delivery.
The NCC reaffirmed its commitment to building a fair, competitive, and consumer-friendly telecom environment, while also pledging continued partnership with the NYSC in educating young Nigerians on digital literacy and consumer protection.
