The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has intensified its consumer education efforts by engaging National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members in Nasarawa and Niger States on effective mobile data management and their rights as telecom subscribers.
The simultaneous sensitisation programmes, held on August 7, 2025, at the Magaji Dan-Yamusa Permanent Orientation Camp in Keffi, Nasarawa State, and the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp in Paiko, Niger State, featured interactive quiz competitions, with winners receiving gift items such as powerbanks, airtime, and data subscriptions.
Representing the Director, Consumer Affairs Bureau, Mrs. Freda Ruth Bruce-Bennett, NCC officials delivered a presentation on the theme: “Consumer Sensitisation on Data Depletion: The Role of National Youth Service Corps Members”. The initiative, according to the Commission, responds to increasing public concerns over unexplained mobile data usage and billing transparency.
Mrs. Bruce-Bennett noted that internet subscriptions in Nigeria have surged from 105 million in August 2018 to 142 million in January 2025, driven by the growth of social media, online platforms, and wider access to digital services. She emphasised that protecting consumers and improving digital literacy were essential in today’s fast-evolving telecom landscape.
“Consumer perception of rapid data depletion remains a major pain point in the industry,” she said, advising corps members to embrace smart data practices such as monitoring usage, restricting background data, disabling automatic updates, using Wi-Fi where possible, and enabling data-saving modes on their devices.
As part of its corporate social responsibility, the NCC donated three 50kg bags of rice and three 25-litre kegs of vegetable oil each to the two NYSC camps. The Nasarawa State NYSC Coordinator, Hajiya Salamatu Mohammed, and the Niger State Coordinator, Mrs. Martina Shuaibu-Ibrahim, received the items on behalf of the corps members.
The Commission further urged the corps members to serve as “Consumer Champions” by promoting awareness of telecom consumer rights, educating their communities about NCC initiatives, and providing feedback to help improve service quality across the country.
