By Correspondent.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Friday ,held a Stakeholder Forum on Application-to-Person (A2P) Messaging to address critical challenges and advance the development of this key telecommunications segment.
Speaking at the event through the Acting Head of Legal and Regulatory Services, Mrs. Chizua Whyte, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, emphasized the vital role of A2P messaging as a cornerstone of modern communication.
He described it as an essential tool for businesses, consumers, and governments, widely utilized for notifications such as bank alerts, healthcare reminders, promotional campaigns, and government updates.
Despite its significance, Dr. Maida noted, the A2P messaging space in Nigeria is grappling with challenges including fraud, spam, data privacy issues, and inequitable value distribution among stakeholders.
He stressed that these issues threaten consumer protection, stifle fair competition, and impede industry growth.
Dr. Maida reiterated NCC’s commitment to fostering collaboration and inclusivity among stakeholders, including operators, aggregators, businesses, service providers, and consumers.
He urged active participation in addressing the challenges and finding solutions that will shape the future of A2P messaging.
He identified three critical stakeholder groups: Government which utilizes A2P messaging for efficient citizen engagement and public service delivery.
The consumers that depend on the platform for timely, secure, and reliable access to essential updates and services and Industry Players that leverage the platform for innovation, fair competition, and sustainable growth.
Dr.Maida,who said the forum serves as a platform to unveil NCC’s proposed regulatory framework for A2P messaging to foster innovation while ensuring fairness, transparency, and security encouraged stakeholders to provide feedback to refine the framework and address existing gaps.
The NCC boss assured participants that the ultimate goal of the organization is to create a thriving A2P messaging ecosystem that protects consumers, promotes fair competition, and unlocks growth opportunities.
He said that stakeholder feedback is crucial to achieving this goal and ensuring the sector’s sustainable development.
On the benefits of A2P Messaging, NCC assured the Forum that will improve security by safeguarding users from spam and fraud,lead to revenue retention by noosting local economic growth through taxation,enhance transparency in operations and tariffs.
Others are;Enhanced user trust by protecting subscriber data and fostering confidence in a secure ecosystem, supporting the introduction of an International A2P Messaging License for fair, secure, and efficient communication.
Moreso,A2P also fosters economic growth, protects consumers and businesses and promotes a competitive and transparent telecommunications market.
The Reporters gathered that the virtual Forum is part of NCC’s participatory rule-making process to develop a licensing framework for a new category in the Nigerian telecom sector—the A2P Messaging Licensing Framework.
This framework represents a significant step towards addressing the sector’s challenges and realizing its full potential for socio-economic development.
The event reinforced NCC’s strategic focus on its core stakeholders—the government, consumers, and the industry—ensuring the sustainability and effectiveness of the A2P messaging ecosystem.
The Commission’s proactive approach demonstrates its dedication to innovation, regulation, and the advancement of Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.
Edited by Dada Ahmed
