Amidst the controversy of high cost of data, perceived illegal deductions by operator, and poor services, the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), has shed some light on what actually happens when you are using the internet.
Experience of early depletion and rise in data consumption by telecoms consumers are not necessarily as a result of ‘illegal deductions’ or ‘sharp practices’ by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) but more as a result of varied factors.
This was the position of Prof. Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) during a presentation at the monthly briefing on Short-Term Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) by agencies under the Federal Ministry of Communications.
During a presentation by the management of the Commission to the Hon. Minister of Communications, Dr. Isa Ali Pantami and other officials of the ministry, Danbatta spoke extensively on what the NCC has been doing in key areas of its regulatory mandate.
Such areas of mandate include reduction of cost of data, stemming the tide of ‘illegal deduction’ of data, addressing the issue of invalidly-registered Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards; as well as efforts in ensuring continuous compliance with the maximum.
Two percent Call Drop Rate (CDR) directive to telecom operators on Quality of Service (QoS)delivery, each of which Danbatta and Directors in the Commission took turns to discuss extensively with the Minister.
On the issue of data, the EVC said “The ‘illegal deduction’ of subscriber data was not in the real sense of the word illegal and was also not as a result of any proven ‘sharp practice’ by the operators.”
According to him, “the reasons for the rise in data consumption and depletion, which is classified by some users as ‘illegal deduction’, include the advancement in technology, which has led to the rise in applications, updates and services that leverage on this technology and advancement of supportive data infrastructure.”
Others, according to him, are increase in video-based advertising content by social media companies which in some cases are layered on free services offered by the companies; auto updates of apps on the phone over mobile data network without any sort of prompting or intervention by the user of the mobile phone.
While making a presentation to the Honourable Minister, Engr. Bako Wakil, Director, Technical Standards and Network Integrity, NCC, stressed that while regulatory efforts are ongoing towards a downward review of cost of data and improved quality of data services for telecom subscribers, the drivers of the cost of data provision and quality of service in Nigeria are, however, not entirely within the control of the Commission. These data provision drivers and factors include Right of Way (RoW) issues, fiber cuts, vandalism, multiple taxations, insecurity and power outages as well as site access denial that tend to temper seamless service provision.
Speaking on measures being taken by the Commission towards curbing proliferation of pre-registered SIM cards in the country, Danbatta elaborated on a broad-based identity management database solution being worked on to permanently curb the menace. He noted that:
“In view of the grave impact of pre-registered SIM cards and other SIM-related crimes on national security of the country arising from this challenge, the Commission is considering implementing a robust Identity Management Solutions to curb the menace once and for all as the telecom sector transit into a new SIM Card Registration Regime based on the Mandatory Use of National Identity Number (NIN) Regulations issued by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).”
On Call Drop Rate, Danbatta said, based on its monthly monitoring of operators’ level of QoS delivery, “the CDR across all mobile networks this year has been below 1 per cent threshold, a situation that has steadily and relatively improved quality of service (QoS) of telecoms consumers.
Meanwhile, Hon. Minister Dr. Isa Ali Pantami has commended the NCC for doing well in enlightenment on consumer issues and other ongoing initiatives, adding that “we can re-strategise and heighten campaigns in all media, especially in local languages.”
Many stories in terms of economic activities and social life have been said and still being reported about Lagos, the Nigeria’s largest commercial city. As the cities in the country prepare for another decade, the activities and lifestyle of the people in Lagos will continue to be debated by the locals and foreigners because the city seems to be a place for more success attainment considering its growing population and enabling social amenities.
Already, the city has had and still having a steady influx of people from neighbouring states in the south west region and states in the south-south, south-east, north-west and north-central regions. By 2035, the population is expected to reach 28.5 million people from its present 21 million. In the same year, the state’s Gross Domestic Product is projected to grow by 4.5 percent. This figure has been described as being rested significantly above the current global average of 2.9 percent.
These and other factors such as continuous infrastructural upgrade remain attracted factors. Over the last decade, a significant number of qualified graduates and people with specific skills have been attracted to the city with the intent of getting formal and informal jobs, which have contributed to the increase in office construction on the Lagos Island and Mainland areas of the state. In the Mainland area, shophouses are also springing up every day. This is similar to what exist in Singapore, where commercial cities are having at least one shophouse apart from the formal offices.
Lagos Office and Changing Workers’ Needs
Whether on the Island or the Mainland, Lagos offices are designed to suit different purposes. Some offices are designed for corporate activities. Some are designed to enable workers and others to engage in social activities. In both situations, the designs and spaces must meet the users’ needs every time. This is imperative because there is a strong relationship between buildings and users. Since 2015 that the world leaders agreed on a new global goals and targets, working people have been clamouring for greener and healthier office buildings, especially in developing countries where the adoption of green features for building construction and maintenance remain low.
This has once again emphasised the place of greener and healthier building on health, wellbeing and productivity in the workplace. This emphasis will linger on in Lagos as the state continues to receive intermittent rankings on indexes that focus on sustainable living. Three years after the new goals and targets, the city recorded lowest score in Stability Index despite all efforts and capital injection into infrastructure upgrade and construction.
Like previous analyses done by the academics and industry experts, this article emanates from a recent research conducted about the level of satisfaction of Lagos workers on the facilities and their office building. Lagos Island was the setting of the study and carried out in August, 2019. Among other questions posed to the workers, we gleaned that there are accepters and rejecters of the building. With this result and the modeling of other variables, we described the two classifications as the logic of satisfaction. According our data, workers are being logical in expressing their satisfaction about the building and facilities therein within true or false criterion. The satisfaction expression is largely explained by the national norms and values.
Source: Infoprations Analysis, 2019
National Norms, Satisfaction and Productivity
When the workers were asked to expatiate the true or false criterion, the data show significant movement towards very satisfied and satisfied. Those within the very satisfied were tagged promoters of the FM service quality and quantity provisions. Workers who tilted towards satisfied were better seen as rejecters. These are the workers who have ‘high level of subjectivity’ while reacting to FM services offered by the in-house FM team or FM service providers. They are the detractors of FM service quality and quantity provisions.
As pointed out earlier, the logic of satisfaction of Lagos workers about office building and facilities maintenance is being driven by norms and values Nigeria has been known for. Workers within satisfied are rejecters because they are being decisive and assertive in their reaction, while accepters, having used the building and the facilities therein, have seen quick results during the period of using the building and the facilities. The rejecters should be seen as the category of workers who are mostly meeting facilities in bad situations after serviced or maintained by the FM team. This led to expressing their satisfaction within the satisfied and false scales. The accepters fall to the opposite. They met the facilities in good conditions. This mainly explained their choice of very satisfied and true scales.
Source: Infoprations Analysis, 2019
Beyond the examination of the workers about restroom, reception, boardroom, canteen, training room and accessibility of the public transport to the office, we explored the impacts of lightening, nose, temperature and space and air quality on their health and productivity. On the productivity, analysis shows that temperature impacted productivity more than quality of air, distraction of noise and quality of space provided. Quality of light had least impact on the workers’ productivity during the study period. In spite of the low effect of the air quality on productivity, the workers reported high impact on their health status followed by temperature and noise.
Source: Infoprations Analysis
The extreme impact of the air quality is an indication that the sampled office did not have low concentrations of CO2 and pollutants, and high ventilation rates during the month of the study. This has equally established the dangerous situation many workers are while working in urban areas in Nigeria. An information has it that whether indoor or outdoor, air pollution is killing more residents today than ever before. Our data show that the studied workers experience eyestrain, mental fatigue irritation, eye irritation, headache and nose irritation. These are the common symptoms linked to exposure to pollutants.
To establish the extent to which people care about their life in Lagos, we did a simple analysis of the public interest in air pollution and indoor air quality on the basis that the sampled workers sought knowledge about their conditions using the Internet. Analysis indicates that public (assumed to include the studied workers) had more interest in air pollution than indoor air quality. Checks also reveal that on Lagos Island, from August 1 to 31, 2019, the average temperature was 790 F, humidity was 85%. On August 17 around 2pm, the temperature was high at 88 degree and low at 73 degree on August 1, on August 1, the humidity was high at 100% and low at 62% on August 17, 2019.
In an office where noise distracts workers often, the productivity level would dip, while health status would not be spared. This was also found as a major contributor to the workers’ logic of satisfaction. Though the workers reported the minimal effect of lightening on them, it is essential for the FM managers to always provide appropriate blinds or shutters for blocking out natural light in an office building when the situation calls for it. This is largely due to the fact that only 22.20% of 36 workers reported that the blinds or shutters are effective. Having appropriate blinds or shutters is further reinforced when we found that norms associated with the level of satisfaction accounted for 44% of seeing the provided blinds or shutters as effective. “Where the benefits of fresh air and good thermal comfort can be provided by natural ventilation and passive design (or mixed mode systems), there is a clear win-win for occupier and energy use.”
Our data show that 61.10% of the workers had full control over air ventilation in the office building, while 50.00% had slight control over artificial lighting in the building. It would not be a bad idea when workers are in control of both air ventilation and artificial lightning. Personal control over indoor environment is a strategic means of increasing level of satisfaction, productivity and energy performance.
Source: Infoprations Analysis, 2019
Go Green
Looking at the insights, companies and Facilities Managers have a number of actions to take towards making office building sustainable for the users. Companies need to incorporate green features in building and maintaining offices. A structure and application of processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient. Improving fresh air in offices means companies must always use green products to maintain facilities. The narrative that green practices increase spending should be countered based on the fact that green buildings and facilities are more beneficial than conventional practices.
Being green in practices and solutions has the highest propensity of converting the rejecters into promoters, occupants who could become influential marketers of the FM providers and in-house team having experienced better building and facilities. An occupant’s willingness to recommend result from how well FM providers managed his or her company’s facilities, especially the critical ones. On-site Facilities Managers and Account Managers (Business Development Executives) need to pay specific attention to this because there is a low connection (7.1%) between workers seeing Facilities Managers’ maintenance of office building to operate at satisfactory that enhances physical and psychological comforts, and norms associated with satisfaction level.
I’ve started this writing several times but I’ve never been able to pen something down. It’s not like I don’t have ideas to put down, it’s just that I don’t want to create a wrong impression in the minds of the readers. I’m always careful when addressing people’s beliefs because of their stronghold on them. But I think it’s time to voice this out.
I will introduce these beliefs I’m about to discuss here with three short stories of events I witnessed.
EVENT 1 – Few weeks ago, I met this woman and her daughter that is about 8 months old. This beautiful daughter of hers doesn’t pass stool through the normal channel (I think it’s a congenital issue). According to this woman, her daughter has been through two surgeries already – shortly after birth and when she was 3 months old. She was scheduled to come back for another surgery 3 months after the second one. According to her, her baby became ok after the second surgery until she was “attacked” and the problem came back again. Anyway, she is working on taking her for the third surgery.
EVENT 2 – There is this man in my village; he keeps having misfortune after misfortune in his businesses. It seems that any business he goes into is bound to flop, so he just ‘zeros’ his mind and waits for it to fail. One day I overheard him saying that he has “ajo chi” (bad personal god) and that’s why all his efforts towards financial independence yields no good result.
EVENT 3 – This one is quite hilarious, but serious. I was in commercial bus with other travellers. We were plying the disastrous Enugu-Onitsha Expressway. Those at the backseat weren’t finding it funny because of all bumping up and down of the bus. The conversation in the bus later turned to the bad road. One of the travellers at the backseat was so furious that he started calling on God to come and judge the politicians and the construction company reconstructing the road.
These three events are just three out of the millions we witness every now and then. To discuss these three events critically, I’ll brand them the ‘attack belief’, the ‘bad destiny belief’ and the ‘revenge belief’ respectively.
THE ATTACK BELIEF
This is the belief that most Nigerians hold onto when struck by ill-health or ill-luck – they believe that someone or something is ‘attacking’ them spiritually. I’m not saying that I don’t believe that there are witches, wizards and ‘the village people’. For sure, as a Nigerian, I’m forced to know of all these forces and what they do. But then, how can someone be sure that the misfortune he or she is facing isn’t as a result of mismanagement or normal course of life? How can you determine the one that came naturally and the one that came from the manipulations of something spiritual?
Before we decide that what we are passing through is a supernatural thing, we need to evaluate critically all our decisions and conducts to be sure the fault isn’t ours. I’ve heard of some people that assumed that the mistakes and wrong decisions they made were the manipulations of some evil forces. I don’t know anyway; but I think this belief is really affecting a lot of people.
For example, some sick people won’t go to hospital because they believe it’s not what doctors can handle. Some of them will go to ‘prayer houses’ for deliverance. That aside, a lot of businesses are suffering right now because their owners believed that their ‘enemies’ are doing voodoo on them. So, instead of they learning and acquiring some outstanding business skills, they jump from one place to another seeking for people that will find who their enemies are and see the future for them.
We need to let go of this belief. Even if people are coming after you spiritually, do the much you can to make life better for you and then leave the rest for God.
THE BAD DESTINY
Having an ‘ajo chi’ almost means the same thing as having bad destiny. The people here believe that they have been destined to suffer in this life. Some of them see their ill-health as one of their ‘agreements’ with their ‘chi’. This is also the same thing with those in this group that are poor.
I know that life doesn’t really give it all to one person, but I believe that some things are preventable and avoidable. For example, someone that is having issues with his business might have to sit back and do a proper evaluation of his skills and decisions. He may also want to find out why his business isn’t moving as it should. I believe that when such a person is asking and finding true answers to his questions, he will notice that destiny has no role to play in his misfortune.
One more thing, the people that belong to this group easily resign themselves to bullying, bad governance and corruption. The major problem I have with this type of people is that they are not easy to help. In fact, the more you try to pull them out, the more they drag themselves back into their ‘holes’. They see their predicaments as ordained by a divine force and your help may not be appreciated.
THE REVENGE BELIEF
A lot of people belong to this group. These people won’t ask for what is theirs, even if they could, because they believe that there is a supernatural being that will do that for them.
If you ask me, I’ll say that this is Nigeria’s general problem. We refuse to talk at times when our rights are being trampled on because we hope that God will revenge for us. Please, I’m not suggesting that we revenge when we are wronged; my point here is that we have to fight for what is right and not fold our hands and wait for a divine battle to come down and do that for us.
When some things happen that Nigerians need to seek redress for, they usually just walk away in bitterness and pain with the belief that God will revenge for them. Of course, God fights for the trampled and the downtrodden; but if you have the means of seeking redress or getting your voice heard, are you still among the downtrodden?
In this life, we have to keep learning and unlearning. I believe Nigerians should unlearn these three beliefs, they are not helping us.
As the year is running to an end, I know there are many things you would have loved to accomplish. Perhaps, you set some goals when 2019 started and said, ”I will achieve this goal before the year runs out.”
But when you look back into your diary and compare what you have set for the year, it seems like you are nowhere near the target.
The annoying part is social media. It doesn’t seem to do you any good whenever you log in. You will always see so many success stories. Listen, we simply cannot look at someone else’s mile 50 and compare it to our mile 5. You’re still running the race and it’s not over yet. And for some, you’re just warming up.
It is so sad that whenever we look around at our peers, our colleagues, our idols and we think, “I’m behind in everything.”
Absolutely no, you’re not behind. You are simply doing what’s best for you. It’s no wonder so many of today’s students are so stressed out.
We grasp so hard at things that often are not even in our control. We live in an imperfect world that continuously tries to appear perfect. That’s just not realistic.
We are missing so many things whenever we compare ourselves. We should never compare to measure success or achievements, rather, we should compare to learn.
So many people are living imaginatively. I am not against anyone setting goals. Of course, set big goals for yourself, and yes get excited about it. But, understand it may take time to get there. And that’s okay.
Is it not funny that we underestimated the things we should have overestimated and overestimated the things we should have underestimated? As Brendon Burchard says, “the next level opens after your next committed step” and Jay Shetty also said – ”everyone has their own timing”.
You’re not ahead, or behind, you’re where you need to be to learn what you need to learn. Your ENTIRE story is so much better than just the first and last chapter. Have gratitude for the journey, it’s a beautiful thing. Sometimes the only thing that’s standing between us and our goals, is time.
According to Nadia, ”to succeed in life, you have to be crazy enough to pursue what sets your soul on fire. To follow your dreams and let them take you higher. Don’t be a copy of someone else Dare to revolutionise, be an adventurer, create your own path in the woods and face the future. Be a chaser to beat your fears. Without a saber, be a coach. Embrace your flaws without reproach. Be a painter. Paint your life with vibrant colors and make it brighter Be a writer and write your own story like a cavalier. Be a poet. Inspire others to dream and be their best. Be a preacher who helps others find their light and feel better. Be a stylist. Build your own style that makes you feel classy and smart. Be everything you love. Be a blessing to the world. Let your voice vibrate through walls. Let your heart touch people’s souls. Don’t worry if others think you’re weird. Don’t forget, geniuses are often strange.
GOD made you unique. Embrace your uniqueness. Let your gut guide you to the road that will change your world and leave indelible footprints wherever you go.
As you walk in your paths, these are the ten commandments you should always remember:
Don’t base your happiness on material achievements.
Success comes in different forms. Financial Success is just one out of all.
Offering to help and being kind to a total Stranger has opened doors for so many.
Life is like Water. It takes the shape of your mindset and how you view it.
Hard work rules but Smart work is the updated Version.
It takes just one decision to change your life.
Never abandon those who were there for you in your time of need.
There will be distractions along the way in your life journey. Focus is key.
Create moments out of the present, because the future Isn’t guaranteed.
If you want to go far, create a team.
Added : Be flexible and adaptable to change to Survive in this fast-evolving world.
It is always a privilege, for us, when companies, big and small, invite my practice into their lives. We go with humility, knowing that we cannot know your business more than you do. But that humility is packaged with unmatched tenacity, excellence and dedication to deliver category-king value.
Yesterday, at Sheraton Ikeja, it was Soulmate Industries. Soulmate was started about 25 years ago when the founder commercialized his undergraduate chemistry project. Today, it is the largest indigenous haircare company in continental Africa, and a leading exporter from Nigeria.
People, I will have excess luggage challenge, as I make it back to U.S. Soulmate customized many gifts in my name, and practice, and then added a special pen, Mont Blanc, noting “the pre-workshop synthesis note, preparing and conditioning our team for this workshop, is so valuable that we want to ensure you will never lack pens to write”.
Soulmate – life is better when you have found your soul mate!
