The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has created the first ICT Consumer protection forum in Nigeria to help citizens express their grievances as it relates to indigenous IT product and services, and settle such in a non-litigious manner.
The DG of NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa, was represented by ITIS Director, Usman Abdullahi at the Webinar with the theme: “Virtual Digital Services Consumer Protection Forum,” where a draft framework on Alternative Dispute Resolution for the ICT Sector was presented for review.
Kashifu said that the occasion is very critical to the success of NITDA’s strategy which is aimed at building qualitative indigenous content for consumption in the ICT sector.
He stated that the multiple complaints and quality of ICT products and services have led to the conceptualization of the consumer forum as well as drafting the alternative dispute resolution in the ICT framework.
He also expressed concern that leaving such issues unattended will lead to a lack of confidence in the local ICT products and services, which in turn attract very low patronage and job losses.
Kashifu noted that since the outbreak of COVID-19, NITDA has been playing a role to ensure it maximizes opportunities embedded in the challenge posed by the pandemic. He said the government has taken over the challenges of the information technology sector from a holistic point of view.
Earlier in his remark, Mr. Olayinka Adejube, Director Standards Guidelines, and Frameworks said that the event was for service consumers and digital service providers to interact on possible ways of improvement.
Adejube said, “ This event is to bring consumer and service providers to interact and see areas where there is a need to work together to ensure that the essence of all the investment in the digital economy is not wasted.”
