The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta has affirmed that the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) Short Codes are issued only to those licensed to provide the Value Added Services.
Danbatta stated this today through Bako Wakil, NCC Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity (TSNI) who spoke in his stead while receiving a delegation from Radio Television Prestigious Awards (RTPWN) that paid a courtesy visit to NCC.
The RTPWN, an organization that offers awards to radio and television broadcasters across Africa visited the Commission to request for shortcodes. But the Director of TSNI declared that the organization is not in the category of those eligible to apply for the Code.
Wakil explained to the visitors that if the RTPWN is really in need of shortcode, it must obtain a VAS license from the Commission before applying for shortcode. He also informed the leadership of RTPWN that shortcodes can be processed within a week, although a VAS license may take a bit longer because of the processes involved. He, therefore, advised that if RTPWN requires the shortcode immediately, it may wish to approach any VAS licensee for negotiation in order to use the licensee’s shortcode.
In his response, Dr. Samuel Wilcox, Managing Director of RTPWN commended the NCC’s leadership and informed the Commission that his organization is about to organize radio and television Awards to merited broadcasters to be decided through public polls in Nigeria using quick codes to get network subscribers opinions. He also said RTPWN had earlier organized similar awards in Ghana, Kenya, and some other countries and considered it important to organize a more befitting event in Nigeria, it’s home base in order to honor deserving Nigerian broadcasters in the news and entertainment industry.
