The Nigerian Communication Commission
(NCC) and the National Lottery
Regulatory Commission (NLRC) has inaugurated a joint committee to enforce new
guidelines and stop frivolous lottery shows by organizations in Nigeria.
Over the years there has been public outcry questioning the
authenticity of most lottery shows run by telecoms services providers in the
country.
Speaking during the inauguration of the Joint Implementation
Committee, NCC Executive Vice-Chairman, Eugene Juwah, represented by the
Executive Commissioner, Okechukwu Itanyi, said the committee is being
inaugurated after stakeholders’ approval.
The committee according to him, would assist to harmonise the
policy framework on lottery in the telecoms industry, stressing that the
co-operation between the two agencies is to protect consumers."As
competition becomes stiffer in the telecoms industry, service providers
consistently device new ways of attracting new customers and retaining old ones
within their networks. We have observed that promotions and lotteries have
become prominent tools used by service providers to delight their teeming
subscribers. In a bid to ensure sanity in the industry, NCC has published
specific guidelines on advertisement and promotions of lottery
activities."Part of the strategy for the co-operation by the two agencies
is to form a synergy as well as guidelines that will ensure that consumers are
never short changed while participating."
NLRC Director-General, Peter Igho, in his own speech, ,said
it has become expedient to ensure that lottery in Nigeria is done creditably
given the number of complaints trailing most lottery shows.
Igho who was who was represented by NLRC Acting Director of
Regulations and Monitoring, Emmanuel Jeminiwa
pointed out that allowing lottery business to function without proper
checks could jeopardise the credibility of telecoms operators and lottery
business itself.