Joy Agwunobi
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has extended its consumer sensitisation campaign on data depletion and smart data management to corps members at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camps in Keffi, Nasarawa State, and Paiko, Niger State, reaffirming its commitment to empowering young Nigerians with the knowledge to navigate the fast-evolving telecoms environment.
Officials of the Commission recently visited the two camps simultaneously, engaging hundreds of corps members on issues surrounding data consumption, billing transparency, and consumer rights.
The outreach, which was held under the theme “Consumer Sensitisation on Data Depletion: The Role of National Youth Service Corps Members,” formed part of the NCC’s strategic consumer education drive to promote digital literacy and address persistent concerns around rapid data exhaustion among subscribers.
Delivering the keynote at the sensitisation programme, Freda Ruth Bruce-Bennett, director of the Consumer Affairs Bureau of the NCC, described corps members as “dynamic, educated, and patriotic young Nigerians” who play a critical role in spreading awareness and promoting consumer protection in the telecom industry.
Bruce-Bennett noted that while Nigeria has witnessed an impressive leap in internet subscriptions—from 105 million in August 2018 to 142 million in January 2025—the accompanying surge in data consumption has exposed consumers to new challenges. These include rapid data depletion, hidden background app usage, and billing concerns that have led to public outcry.
“Consumer perception of rapid data depletion remains a major pain point and continues to affect Quality of Experience as well as overall satisfaction in the industry,” she said. “This knowledge gap often results in unintentionally high data consumption, which can frustrate users and erode trust.”
She referenced a survey by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), which highlighted the scale of public concern over unexplained data depletion and billing transparency, stressing that the NCC has launched studies, education drives, and regulatory actions to tackle these issues.
Among the measures already in motion, Bruce-Bennett listed data usage transparency initiatives, enforcement of fair usage policies, and ongoing engagements with service providers to improve consumer experience. She also shared practical smart data management tips with corps members, urging them to monitor data usage through built-in trackers, restrict background activity on apps, disable automatic updates, maximise Wi-Fi connections, and activate data-saving modes.
Highlighting the importance of corps members as “Consumer Champions,” Bruce-Bennett encouraged them to spread awareness within their host communities, engage the NCC through its complaint platforms, and act as agents of change for better digital inclusion.
“As educated, mobile, and socially connected Nigerians, you are key agents of change. Your voices matter. Your experiences shape policy. Your participation drives progress,” she said.
Beyond the lecture sessions, corps members participated in quiz competitions designed to test their grasp of telecom-related knowledge. Winners smiled home with gift items such as powerbanks, airtime, and data subscriptions.
In addition, the Commission donated food items—including three 50kg bags of rice and three 25-litre containers of vegetable oil—to each camp. The support items were formally received by Salamatu Mohammed, NYSC state coordinator for Nasarawa, and Martina Shuaibu-Ibrahim, the coordinator for Niger State.
The sensitisation programme in Nasarawa and Niger forms part of the NCC’s wider effort to build a fair, competitive, and consumer-friendly telecoms market at a time when data has become central to communication, education, business, and social interaction.
By directly engaging the NYSC community—one of the largest youth networks in the country—the Commission hopes to entrench a culture of digital literacy, consumer awareness, and responsible data use that can ripple across households, schools, and workplaces.
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