Recent Developments in Nigerian

8/9/2019 Recent Developments in Nigerian

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RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN NIGERIANTELECOMMUNICATIONS LAW AND POLICY.The Nigerian government has renewed its efforts towarddevelopment of the Nigerian telecommunications sector in

line with international standards. A cornerstone of the newpolicy is the realization of Governments of stated aim ofmaking telecommunications services affordable to themillennium and utilizing state of the art telecommunicationsequipment for optimum reliability and efficiency.Against this background, in 1992 Government commencedthe privatization of certain activities, over which the NigerianTelecommunications Plc. (NITEL) hitherto held a

monopoly. Through promulgation of the NigerianCommunications Commission Decree No. 75 of 1992,Government established the Nigerian CommunicationsCommission (NCC) and charged it with the function ofregulating operations in the telecommunications industry.The Decree also privatized the following telecommunicationsoperations:- Installation of terminals and related equipment;

Provision and operation of- Public pay-phones;- Private network links, employing cable, radiocommunication and satellite, within Nigeria;- Public mobile communication links;- Community telephony;- Value-added networks (including e-mail, voice-mail,Internet services, paging etc.);- Repair and maintenance of telecommunicationsfacilities; and- Cabling servicesNITEL expectedly retained its monopoly over the PublicSwitched Telephone Network (PSTN) and Basic NationalVoice Telephony (BNVT) systems, thereby remaining thesole national carrier and operator of Nigerias international


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gateway. However, a few licenses were granted to provideoperators for international carriage purposes, using satellitetechnology. These licenses are however in danger of beingrevoked following the Ministers indication that the licenses

were improperly issued. Potential investors in any of theprivatized operations need to secure an appropriate NCClicense. Only Nigerian registered corporations are eligible toapply for and hold NCC licenses.To be eligible for a license, an applicant must be acorporation incorporated under Nigerian law. A Nigeriancorporation can be registered in three (3) weeks or lessunder the Nigerian Companies and Allied Matters Act, Cap

69, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990. Theincorporation application, which is to be made on thestructure of the company, its shareholders and directors.Each Nigerian company must have at least two shareholdersand two directors. In the case of foreign equity involvement,a further application to Government agency known as theNigerian Investment Promotion Commission for registrationis also required. Work permits for expatriate works in

Nigerian companies can be relatively easily obtained.The holder of an NCC license to engage in atelecommunications operations must co-operate with NITELand the National Frequency Board for the purpose ofachieving inter-connectivity with NITELs existing publicphone network, Satellite channel and frequency allocation.Although, a licensee is nominally given a right tointerconnection,this right is subject to reaching an agreement

with NITEL as to terms and conditions of suchinterconnection.Where a licensee is unable to agree with NITELupon agreement terms, the NCC is empowered to act as anarbitral panel for the purpose of resolving such dispute.Recently, the Public Enterprises (privatization and


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Commercialisation) Decree No. 28, 1999, waspromulgated. The Decree included NITEL among the list ofcompanies to be partially privatized. Under the Decree, thepost-privatiisation structure of NITEL (which is currently

wholly-owned by Government) will be as follows:- Maximum strategic investor participation 40%- Maximum Federal Government participation 40%- Participation by Nigerian individual 20%In pursuit of Governments efforts to ensure a vibranttelecommunications sector, a workshop on the NationalPolicy on Telecommunication for the Next Millennium wasrecently held in Abuja, Nigeria. Following the

recommendation of the participants at the workshop a newNational Policy on Telecommunications was formulated.Under the new policy, NITEL is to be subjected to the fullcontrol of the Nigerian Communications Commissionsthereby placing the company on the same regulatorypedestal with other private operators.Highlights of the new policy include the following:i) Appointment of 4 (four) GSM operators for an initial

period of 5 years;- Appointment of another National Carrier to competewith NITEL in the provision of PSTN and BNVTservices (with a possibility of appointing a third carrierbased on economic viability);- Prescription of a US$100 million (One Hundred MillionUnited States Dollars) license fee for GSM licenses;- Establishment of a National Frequency ManagementBoard to plan, co-ordinate and monitor the allocation ofthe national radio frequency.The policy envisages the provision of 2 million fixed linesand 1.2 million mobile lines within 24 months of its operationwith a view surpassing the ITU standard of 1:100 minimumteledensity. Accordingly, the policy set specific targets to beachieved by any company, which may e granted a license to


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provide GSM services.Out of the 4 (four) GSM operators approved by the newpolicy two of the licenses are to be issued to NITEL and M TEL both of which are wholly owned by the Federal

Government of Nigeria. The remaining two licenses are to beissued to companies who emerge successful after acompetitive and transparent bidding process.KINGSLEY OHIRI [DECEMBER 1999]

Everyone knows that you have to take care of your customers. However, many business owners

forget that they have two kinds of customers, internal and external customers. Internal customers

are all of the employees who work with you (and realize that I said with rather than for).

External customers are those who physically write checks to you for the products and services you

provide to them. I will discuss the similarities and differences between internal and external

customer relations.

HVAC and plumbing contractors major complaint is I cant find good help. Its true that there is

a shortage of qualified help in our industry. However, I can tell you that there are companies who

have people wanting to work for them, technicians dropping off resumes in hope of a job opening,

and a stable work force. These companies are also generally busy, even in mild weather when

their competitors are waiting for the telephone to ring.

Keeping internal customers isnt rocket science, but it does take work and attention. It is simply

setting the standards, enforcing the standards, creating a career path, following through on the

career path, listening to the wants and needs of your internal customers, and doing what you

promised.

Keeping external customers is what most business owners focus on. Like internal customers,

external customers want to feel needed and appreciated. They want you to communicate with

them. They expect that you will show up on time, that your technicians and installers will be

courteous, that youll fix the problem right the first time, and that you will be neat.

All of us have had times where the technician entering the home was not as skilled as he could be

and didnt fix the problem completely. The customer calls up and raves about the technician and


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says that the system still isnt working and could you send someone out? The technician took care

of the customer.

There are other cases where youve sent your best technician out, he fixed a difficult problem, got

the system running right, and the customer hated him. You may or may not hear from that

customer again.

Fixing the system is only part of the job. Communicating with the customer like the customer

wants to be communicated with is the second part of the job. Some like to talk, some dont. Your

technicians of today have to be good at fixing things and be good at customer relations.

Is your company a good place to work? What do your employees say about work away from the

job? Do they brag about it to their friends or is their spouse or significant other always telling

them that they need to look for another job? What is your turnover ratio? Has someone said that

they are quitting for $0.50 per hour more? If this is the case, money is the excuse, not the real

reason that they are leaving.

You, as an owner, have to be good at running a business and be good at internal customer

relations.

Find out the answers to the questions I posed above. They should give you some food for thought.

Next Ill cover internal customer relations in detail.

Internal Customers

It is just as important to keep your internal customers as your external customers. Employee

turnover is expensive. Some estimates are that it costs three times a persons salary to replace him

or her. It isnt just the salary replacement. Its the time spent by other employees doing that

persons job until you find a replacement, the time spent by you finding the replacement that you

could use doing other things (like selling), and the training time necessary to bring the new

person up to speed.

Lets take care of the negative first. Ill admit, sometimes the fit isnt there. The personality

doesnt fit in your culture, the person cant do what he said that he could do, or doesnt have the

right work ethic. These are some of the major reasons why a person doesnt belong in your


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organization. If youve spoken to the person about it, and changes arent being made, then it is in

the best interest of the rest of the people in your company to use your career readjustment policy

(i.e., fire the person). If the person is a drain on resources, the employees know it. You have to do

something about it or morale will suffer.

Lets look at the positive. You have a great group of dedicated employees who work hard and

produce the profits for you. They enjoy their work (OK, Murphys Law does come into play every

once in a while) and the working environment is pleasant. Obviously you want to keep it this way.

The first thing to do is to make sure that everyone knows the overall goals and mission of the

company. We think, well, thats obvious. However, they may not know what the goals are; better

yet, let them help set the goals. If they have an interest in setting the goals, they will work harder

to achieve them.

Ask the questions, What would you like to see the company do this year? What have we done well

this year? What could have been improved?

Have them write the answers to these questions and give them time to think about the answers.

Dont force them to write their names on them. Some people are not as forthcoming with their

opinions as others are.

In one company, the president hosts a breakfast for the entire company, which he breaks into

small groups. It takes about a month to get everyone to breakfast. The groups are mixed in terms

of job function (i.e., one installer, one technician, one office person and no boss of any of the

people in the group is invited to the discussion). They answer the types of questions I posed in the

paragraph above. Results of the breakfasts are posted and everyone knows what the goals are for

the coming year.

The second major area is to let your employees know that you appreciate their work. This can be

done in many ways: notes in paychecks, notes sent home to wives and significant others, a thank

you as you are passing someone in the hall, a visit to the jobsite when you dont want anything

other than to say you appreciate their hard work, lunch or dinner when someone reaches a goal

that they set, an afternoon off to take care of a pressing issue, etc.

Finally, it is critically important to listen to your employees. They are on the front line. They have

the best idea of what is happening out in the field or in the office. So, when issues arise, ask for

input. If you trust them, and they know that by telling the truth they wont get in trouble, then you

can get to the bottom of the situation and resolve the issues.


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Create an environment where people like coming to work and brag about it. As some of the

owners and managers of companies I work with have said, they have people who want a job with

their company because of their reputation. They are always getting resumes from potential

employees. Their problem is finding the right combination of work ethic and work skill. And that

is the tough part.

When you start getting unsolicited resumes frequently from people who want to work at your

company, you know that you are on the right track. You can be choosy and make sure that the fit

is right so that you keep your internal customers happy.

External Customers

Whether we like it or not, your customers dont think about your company all of the time. The

only time they consciously think of your company is when something breaks. They want to know

where to go when the unexpected happens and their homes and offices are too hot or too cold.

However, when something goes wrong, if youve taken care of your customers properly, your

companys name should pop into their heads. For residential customers, they may look in the

Yellow Pages for the telephone number or just as easily through the white pages. They might have

a sticker on the cover of their Yellow Pages.

Better yet, they should have a magnet on their refrigerator, potholders, and a sticker on their

equipment with your companys name and telephone number on it. Then they can stay out of the

Yellow Pages altogether.

Commercial customers should have Rolodex cards, magnets for their file cabinets, apothecary

jars, coasters, flashlights, etc., with your companys name and telephone number on them.

Calendars work for both residential and commercial customers.

To build up awareness so your name does pop into their heads takes time sometimes years.

First, contact them when you dont want something. This can be done through newsletters,

brochures, reminder postcards, and the Internet.

Second, when they do call make sure that all of your technicians do the right things the first time.

Every impression counts. Customers are fickle. Even if someone has been a customer for 10 years,

you cant take him or her for granted. Your employees and you still have to greet the customer


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properly and take care of his or her needs right the first time. Ive seen too many times where

someone has been a customer for a long time and starts looking for another company simply

because they sense somethings changed and they arent being taken care of like they were in the

past. Will you ever know it? Probably not until you realize that you havent heard from that

customer in years. By that time its too late.

Follow-up is critical. This means that you call your customers after service calls and after jobs

have been installed. Comment cards that they return are great. However, if someone doesnt

return the card, a telephone call should be made. Why didnt the customer return the card? Was it

because they were upset? Or was it simply because they dont like returning cards?

Ive had contractors tell me that if someone is upset theyll call to complain. If the technician did

something really bad or the equipment broke again, they probably will call. But what about the

rest of the customers who really arent satisfied but arent unsatisfied enough to call you?

These are the customers who will start looking at trucks in the area, start looking in the Yellow

Pages or listening to ads on the radio to find another company and theyre out there.

In most areas of the country there is so much competition that the unsatisfied customer will find

another company to try next time. And if that company goes out of its way to handle the customer

right, youve lost a customer that you spent years and hundreds or maybe even thousands of

dollars cultivating.

Remember, its important to take care of your internal and your external customers. Without your

external customers, you dont get a paycheck. Without your internal customers providing the

service to external customers properly, you cant get a paycheck.

Strengthening Customer Relations

When people say they'd like to have a partnership with their customers, what theysometimes mean is "Let's you and I agree to do things my way." No wonder they're notsuccessful! My seminars andpresentationsare designed to help you improve your

customer relations. For additional information, contact me at 781-986-8148 or by

email.The following articles will help you build and maintain a strong relationship with your

customers.

Food Flights
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Nice (Yawn...) Talking to You

Customer-Focused Verbs

Laugh TrackBuilding a Foundation

Food Flights

Whats the best way to tell customers that a snafu has occurred? Do you tell them thetruth, or do you rely on fabrication, prevarication and obfuscation? Is it better to tell them

sooner or hold off till later?

One of the best examples Ive ever seen of the delivery of bad news occurred on a later

morning flight I took many years ago. Just how many will soon become clear.

As we boarded, I overheard one flight attendant nervously saying to another, "Gee, Ive

never seen this situation before! What in the world should we do?" She didnt soundfrantic; puzzled was more like it.

Fortunately, as soon as we departed, a flight attendant came on the loudspeaker and

announced the problem. Happily, it was nothing serious provided you dont takeairline food seriously (or didnt, back when the airlines actually served more than the

occasional peanut or pretzel). It seems that although it was a noontime flight, half the

meals loaded by the catering service were breakfasts.

The flight attendant told us the crew could have had the situation rectified, but not

without a significant delay in departure. "So," she explained, "we had to make a quick

decision, and we concluded that reaching your destination on time would be moreimportant to you than what you had for lunch. We hope you find this decision acceptable.So for todays flight, we are pleased to offer you a choice of chicken or French toast. We

hope you will be understanding if you dont get your first choice."

Whether at altitude or sea level, customers dislike having things go wrong. But when

such things happen as they inevitably do what many customers resent most ishaving information about the situation kept from them. In fact, when Ive questioned

customers on this subject, most have said the same thing: If theres bad news, they want

to hear it now and hear it straight. Many, in fact, have stated point blank that they knowproblems will occur. All they ask is that they be notified in a timely manner and told the

truth.

I remember well the comment of one particular customer whom I interviewed. Referring

to the department that had handled her groups needs, she said, "What they need tounderstand is that we have responsibilities and accountabilities too. We need to know

whats happening so that we can make adjustments at our end."

Conversely, I heard just the opposite from a customer who had been informed that the
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service group wouldnt be able to meet its needs, "Im disappointed they couldnt do

what we needed, but I appreciate that they told me the truth. That makes it easier for me

to trust them in the future."

When trust is lacking in a customer relationship, its often because important informationhas been unreasonably delayed or deliberately distorted, preventing customers from

taking steps to plan accordingly. It is understandable for a service provider to want to

withhold bad news, but bad news that is delayed or distorted can do much more todamage a relationship than bad news quickly revealed.

As for me, I appreciated that the flight attendant quickly acknowledged the problem,

explained the crews decision and served me my first choice. I love French toast any

time of day!

Copyright 2006 Karten Associates. 781-986-8148, www.nkarten.com

Nice (Yawn...) Talking to You

During a break at a conference, a woman named Marge told me about an experience she

had recently had at another conference. It seems that she'd been talking to the keynote

speaker, Sam, when he abruptly turned away and started talking to someone else. I asked

if Sam had cut her off in midsentence. No, she admitted. She had finished what she wassaying, but was about to say something else when he rudely turned away.

Marge sounded deeply offended at the way shed been treated. In her view, Sam wasnt

interested in her ideas and couldnt be bothered with her. Could it be, I asked, that hisapparent rudeness had been unintentional and that he'd offer a heartfelt apology if he

knew of her reaction? She said she didnt care; Sam was in the public eye and should

know better.

Marge's reaction got me thinking about how easy it to cause offense in a differentcontext: working with customers. How often do we make a comment, use a phrase,

glance a certain way, or do something seemingly innocuous, and in the processunintentionally offend a customer? How often do we do so, and not even realize itbecause the offended person doesnt tell us about it and give us a chance offer an apology

or correct a misinterpretation?

Over the next several months, I described Marge's experience during my Managing

Customer Expectations seminars, and asked participants if they could think of situations
http://www.nkarten.com/custrel.html#TOP%23TOP


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in which an inadvertent word or action might offend customers.

Their response: Indeed, yes. How? On the phone, by sounding unenthusiastic or bored or

distracted. In a class, by looking elsewhere while someone is asking a question. At a

meeting, by looking at your watch while a customer is speaking to you. Or by lookingaround the room particularly in the direction of the exit!

Or as in Sams case, by not waiting that extra fraction of a second after the customer

finishes speaking before turning away, as though you cant wait to escape.

If your responsibilities involve customer contact, your customers may holdyou to ahigher standard just as Marge held Sam, and they may think that you too should know

better. Therefore, its wise to be sensitive to their reactions to your words and actions.

You dont have to go to extremes and worry about whether every syllable or blink or nod

might cause offense. Just be mindful of your behavior, and youll be less likely to allow a

careless word or action to create negative perceptions.

Having given a keynote presentation just two hours before my conversation with Marge, I

took great pains to remain enthusiastic and wide-eyed, while letting Marge fully and

completely have her say. Then I smiled my biggest smile, told her how much I enjoyedspeaking with her, and carefully very carefully took my leave.


Customer-Focused Verbs

Certain verbs are important if you want to build successful relationships with customers.

Verbs such as to respond, care, and support. There's another verb that's not so customer-

focused, though, and that is to get. I don't mean to get as in "to get a 50% raise forexceeding a customer's expectations." No, I mean to get as in "to get customers to do

things your way."

It's amazingly easy to slip into this usage, without even intending to. For example:

In organization #1, a manager bemoaned his customers' use of software productsother than those his group had declared to be the standard. Calls for help with

such products were a drain on his limited support resources. He asked, How can

wegetthem to follow our standards?

In organization #2, customers complained incessantly about the delays betweenordering equipment and receiving it. How can wegetthem to stop complaining?

asked a service rep.


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In organization #3 - and this is the most striking example of all - a director

frustrated with his customers' resistance to doing things his way asked, How can

wegetthem to be partners with us?

Now, I'm no verbologist, but such usages concern me because they suggest that ourway

is the only way and that coercion is necessary to achieve the desired result.

How can I get you to read this paragraph?

The truth, though, is that you can't get anyone to willingly do anythingthey don't really

want to. Oh, they may do it, especially if they don't have a choice, but that doesn't meanthey'll whistle a happy tune while doing it.

What makes this verbacious misuse so frustrating is that people are often quite willing to

support a decision if they've had a say in the matter. It's not the decision per se that they

resist and resent, but how that decision was made and how it was foisted upon them. Howwas the decision made? Unilaterally, without their input or participation. And how was it

foisted upon them? As a fait accompli. A done deal. Shut up and do it because we said so.

Fortunately, the solution is painless and wonderfully rewarding. Simply replace divisiveverbs such asgetwith customer-focused verbs such as help and involve, and then match

your actions to these new verbs. So rather than getting customers to do things your way,

you'll help them understand how they'll benefit by your solution. Or (even better) you'll

involve them in making decisions that'll affect them, so they buy into those decisions.

In the process of helping and involving customers, you may even discover that your

solution isn't the only one. Or even the best one. Customers bring a perspective that may

lead to solutions different from yours, but equally effective (or more effective) - and

more likely to succeed because customers had a say in their formulation.

I'll help you see the difference

How would verb replacement affect organizations such as the three I described? Well,

here's how three other organizations addressed similar situations:

Organization #4, unlike organization #1, invited several customers to participate

in the standard-setting process. As a result, customers came to understand the

benefits of standardization and the pitfalls of a do-your-own-thing approach.When the job was done, both parties promoted the resulting standards. Not all

customers favored the products selected, but they all supported the selection

process and accepted the results.

In organization #5, service reps asked some customers to participate in adiscussion about their purchasing woes, something organization #2 never did. In

the course of the discussion, both service reps and customers realized for the

first time how badly the process was bogged down with bugs and bottlenecks.On the spot, they decided to work as a team to gather additional information,

analyze the entire process and recommend changes.

As in organization #3, staff in organization #6 wanted a partnership with their


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customers. They realized, though, that actions speak louder than this often

meaningless word. The transition wasn't quick. But once they started trying to

understand, appreciate and respect their customers' perspective (three othergreat verbs), customers became much more accommodating as well. No one

called it a partnership, but that's exactly what began to evolve.


Laugh Track

Sometimes things are not what they seem. Take the case of a company in which I was

helping two technical support groups work together more amicably. One group providedfirst level support to the company's business departments. The other group provided

second level support; the problems they handled were fewer in number but greater in

complexity than those of the Level One group. A spirit of cooperation was essential totheir ability to serve customers effectively, yet that spirit was severely lacking.

During a session with the two groups, a situation came to light that had been troubling the

Level One group: It seems that Level One staff automatically escalated to Level Two

certain complex problems that caused serious disruption to customers and required

immediate attention. Level One staff members then periodically dropped by the LevelTwo's work area to check on the status of the resolution.

Laugh it up

And when they dropped by, what did they find the Level Two staff doing? Laughing.

Laughing! Customers were unable to do their work, and the people in charge of fixing theproblem were joking, kidding, giggling, having a good old time, and not taking the

problem seriously at all.

I asked the Level Two group: What do you make of this description you've just heard?

Their initial reaction was one of surprise. Then they explained: The Level One team hasmisread the situation. In fact, they said, we take such situations extremely seriously. And

that's what our laughter is about. These situations are stressful, and when we're under

stress, the way we let off steam is to laugh. It's a way to relieve tension. But our laughingdoesn't mean we're not giving the problem our full attention. Just the opposite; it helps to

relax us and lets us be more productive.

Behave yourself!

Surfacing this misunderstanding and getting past it was a relief to both groups, and it ledto an interesting question: Should Level Two staff adopt dour demeanors when working

on top priority problems? The Level One staff now saw the situation differently and

thought not. Once they recognized their misinterpretation of the Level Two behavior andunderstood what was behind the laughter, they saw no problem with it.


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But the Level Two staff now saw the situation differently as well. Laughing is fine, they

concluded, but they needed to be more sensitive to how such behavior might look to

others. They decided that when anyone else is around, they'd be wise to avoid uproariouslaughter or any other frivolous behavior,particularly when they were working on urgent

problems.

How easy it is to misinterpret the behavior of others. How hard it is to remember that

people are forming impressions of us all the time, even when we don't know they'rewatching. Indeed, how quickly such things can become no laughing matter.


Building a Foundation

As a result of a corporate reorganization, an information systems division was to begin

supporting a new client division. The managers of the two divisions wanted the groups to

have a foundation on which to build their new relationship. When groups lack such afoundation, conflicts arise more often and are more difficult to resolve. Conversely,

foundation-building efforts result in relationships in which conflicts occur less frequently,

and are more quickly and amicably resolved. Foundation-building helps the two partiesachieve a mutual feeling that they are working together toward common goals.

To help build this foundation, I was invited to facilitate a two-day get-together. Not much

time, but it was time they would spend away from work responsibilities. Trying to buildor strengthen relationships amidst the chaos of daily work life is difficult at best, so it's agood idea to arrange for the groups to spend some dedicated time together away from

their commitments and obligations.

Getting to know you

A key to foundation-building success is enabling participants to begin to know each otherapart from their work roles, and to appreciate how much they have in common.

Accordingly, many of the activities were designed with this key in mind.

Day one of our two-day meeting revolved around skills-building activities. The idea was

to focus on the serious subject of communications, but to do so in a relaxed andhumorous way that would give participants an opportunity to talk with each other, solve

problems together, and laugh together. By the end of the first day, the members of the

two groups were not exactly old friends, but neither were they strangers or, worse,adversaries. Their interactions were characterized by a level of rapport and camaraderie

not evident at the start of the day. And they were now ready for the more serious

discussions planned for day two.


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On day two, it was time to focus on the relationship between the two groups, and in

particular on what they were going to do to strengthen their ability to work together. If

they are to buy in to the ideas raised, and to have a stake in the success of these ideas, theideas must be their own. This requires creating a setting in which their ideas can flow and

be shared. To create this setting, I divided them into two groups, one of systemspersonnel and one of clients, and asked them to discuss two questions regarding the other

group:

Question 1. What don't you understand about their policies, responsibilities and

activities? What puzzles you? What have you always wanted to know about, but never

had the opportunity to ask?

Question 2. What can you do to help them better understand your policies,responsibilities and activities?

After they discussed these questions among themselves, I asked each group to report theirresponses to Question 1, and to engage in whatever discussion they cared to. The results

were fascinating. With each item that one group described as puzzling or confusing,someone in the other group eagerly offered an explanation, clarification, or source of

additional information. If you were a fly on the wall, you would have heard comments

like "I can explain that," and "Let's schedule some time so I can step you through theentire procedure" - and (usually with a laugh), "It's no wonder you don't understand;

we're pretty confused about it ourselves."

For the first time, admitting to the other group that they didn't know it all felt comfortable

and unthreatening. And asking the other group for help was not only OK, it was

encouraged. Indeed, both groups enjoyed answering questions for the other and filling inthe gaps in the other's knowledge.

Together, wherever we go

The responses of the two groups to Question 2 were amazingly similar. For example,each group invited members of the other group to attend their staff meetings and to visit

their department to observe work-in-progress. Each offered to review their procedures

with the other and to set aside time to answer non-urgent questions. They even agreed tohave a buddy system so that anyone who needed clarification on some issue could call a

designated member of the other group for help. Before I knew it, the two groups were

collaborating on how they could work together to raise their mutual level of

understanding.

To build on the energy generated by these ideas, I presented other pairs of questions for

discussion within each group, followed by dialogue between groups. In less than 48

hours, these two groups built a foundation for a strong relationship. A year later, the

managers reported that the foundation still stood strong. I firmly believe that all groupshave it within themselves to do the same.


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Importance Of Customer Relations

If you as a business person view your customer and clients as only a source of money,but not as individuals with needs, wants, fears and desiresyoure wrong. Yes, you have

a product for sale or have a service to offer at competitive prices. You must have or

develop people-skills as well.

If in your verbal transactions, you are too direct, abrupt or slick when in business, your

image, representation or brand will be damaged. The customers welfare is just as

important as the customers sale.

Remember in this economy, money is tight for your actual and potential customers andclients. Even individuals or companies with deep pockets want respect and caring. If

your policy is take-the-money-and-run, your view of business in general, and customer

relations in particular is warped. Successful businesses handle complaints effectively.

Yes, the saying: find a need a fill it is the reason many or most businesses get started.But being in business to solve problems, to offer products and services that make the user

better. Believing in the concept that there is a jungle out there result in you being too

competitive and vicious; make entrepreneurs or companies be perceive you as greedy and

uncaring.

Customer relations means not only giving the right amount of change back and saying

thank you, but it also means exchanging damaged products, giving discounts if necessary

and making refunds to stay the dayall with a sincere smile. It is a blanket statementthat this writer does not believe. That is the concept the customer is always right. A

better phrase should be: the customer should always be treated right!

What happens when you institute positive customer relations policies in your business

dealings? You get repeat sales from the same customers; now they become regularcustomers. A satisfied customer gives your referrals and recommendations for new

business. In other words, being positive and professional leads to more profits.

From the receptionist to the companys CEO, your business should be customer-friendly.

When you are in business to serve and not exploitthe money will come. There is afamous phrase in the Black community: What goes around, comes around. When

entrepreneurs patronize other establishmentsthey now are the customers. Another

popular phrase is: God dont like ugly. It may sound corny but its the truth. It is niceto be important, but its more important to be nice.


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By Byron W. Perry

About the Author

Perry is a noted business consultant and professional public speaker. He can be reached

at [email protected]

To subscribe to New Yorks favorite Pan-African weekly investigative newspaper pleaseclick on subscribe on the homepage or call (212) 481-7745. For advertisements or to

send us a news tip contact [email protected] Speaking Truth To Empower,

is our motto.

It has now been six years since GSM was introduced to Nigeria, and the telecoms

regulator, the NCC has published a review of how telecoms in the country has

changed since those first mobile phone licenses were sold. Prior to 2001, the

number of connected phone lines in the country before the introduction of

GSM services was a mere 450,000 for an

estimated population of 120 million at the time and the level of investment in the

telecommunications sector was just about US$50 million only. Six years on, the

growth of the telecommunications sector is unmatched by any other sector and ithas recorded a phenomenal growth both in terms of subscriber's base and

infrastructural development in the country. In January 2001, the Commission

conducted an auction for Digital Mobile Licenses. This auction was acclaimed

locally and internationally as one of the best in the world due to the high level of

transparency associated with the exercise.
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The auction brought about the emergence of three mobile Operators; ECONET

Wireless now (CELTEL), MTN and MTEL, a subsidiary of the incumbent operator.

The Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), which was also awarded an

operating license as a National Carrier. In 2002 a fourth Digital Mobile License

(DML) was issued to Globacom (Glomobile) through another transparent auction

process. To further increase competition a fifth Mobile License (with GSM

spectrum) was awarded to Emerging Market Telecommunications Services Limited,

early this year.

The transparent manner in which the Commissions handled the DML gave the

impetus to other licensing auctions that followed. These include, the Second

National Operator (SNO) granted to Globacom, Fixed Wireless Access (FWA)licenses granted to 24 companies on Regional basis, the Unified Access Service

Licenses (UASL), 3G Licenses granted to 4 companies. Through the award of these

licenses the NCC facilitated a phenomenal expansion of telephone lines in Nigeria,

from about 450,000 connected lines in May 1999 to over 38 million lines by July

2007, boosting teledensity growth from 0.4% to 24%. The capacity for growth in the

number of phone lines in the country over the next decade remains quite high, as

some parts of the country are yet to be covered.

Investments in the Telecommunications Sector

Prior to the licensing of the Digital Mobile Operators, private investment in the

telecommunications sector was just about US$50 million. Between 2001 and now,

the sector has attracted over US$9.5 Billion, substantial part of which are direct

foreign investment. With the rapid expansion plans by many of the major service

providers, another US$3 Billion of investment is expected before the end of the

year. Nigeria has thus become one of the most desired investment destinations for

ICT in Africa . This could not have been possible without a conducive andpredictable regulatory environment.

Revenue to Federal Government

In addition to this, the Federal government has earned over US$2.5 Billion from

Spectrum licensing fees alone between 2001 and now. Import duties and taxes


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from the telecom industry have also contributed substantial revenue to the

Federal Government.

Review of Tariff Rates

By the introduction of competition, telecommunication services are now easily

available at affordable prices. Before the advent of digital mobile services in 2001,

cost of subscription to Mtel analogue mobile services was over N60,000. In 2001,

GSM subscription started with a price of N20,000 per line and today, has fallen to

almost zero. The introductory tariff was high at N50 per minute and can be as low

as about N25 per minute on-net (mobile to mobile). Instead of intervention in

retail call rates, the Commission has instead intervened in determining

interconnect rates for the industry.

The combined effect of the two interconnect rate determinations in 2004 and 2006

was a reduction of the mobile termination rate from N18.00 per minute to N11.40

per minute. This has enabled the fixed operators to reduce their retail tariffs for

calls to mobile networks to as low as N20.00 per minute. The Commission will be

initiating a process for reviewing the interconnect rates in the next few months in

line with international best practice. Ownership of phones now cuts across the

various social classes, opening good opportunities for the e-health, e-education, e-

security, e-commerce and e-banking in the country.

The outstanding growth in the telecommunications sector has correspondingly

created a significant number of new jobs in the economy. Also, other sectors such

as advertising, real estate and finance have gained tremendously from the ripple

effect of the growth in this sector. Today the telecom sector is a key contributor

to the nation's Gross Domestic Products (GDP)

Socio-Economic Impact

The great improvement in access to telecoms in the country has had a positive

impact on virtually all facets of life in the country's political, social as well as

economic. Government's interface with the citizens is now faster, people now

contact their folks in most parts of the country from anywhere instantly whenever

they wish and clients now easily reach their various service providers such as


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mechanics and tailors, all thanks to the telecommunications revolution!

The Digital Bridge Institute

The growth of the number of skilled manpower in the telecom industry over the

last six years has been remarkable. The NCC took certain timely initiatives to

ensure that the dearth of skilled Nigerians to run the fast expanding telecom

industry in the country was remedied. A milestone was achieved on May 20, 2004

when Mr. President commissioned the ultra modern Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) in

Utako, Abuja , established by the NCC as an international centre for advanced

telecommunication studies. Apart from training technical manpower, the DBI

trains personnel in other specialist areas such as economic analysis, financial

planning, law, arbitration, mediation, interconnection, e-commerce, businessmanagement, human resources and consultancy services. The Telecommunications

Training Schools in Kano and Oshodi have been recently transferred to the

Commission by the Federal Government and are being resuscitated to become

campuses of the DBI. It is planned that from next year the expanded DBI will be

providing multifarious ICT training programs for over 2000 graduates annually to

service both local and international markets.

Quality of Service Challenges

Though tremendous progress has been witnessed in the telecommunications

sector, there remain numerous challenges. One of such challenges is the present

poor quality of service being experienced in the network. However, the

Commission is working assiduously to ensure that the quality of service improves

significantly within the shortest possible time. The Commission is now working

with operators to achieve network optimization and speed up the rate of

deployment of new base Stations, switches and transmission infrastructure. In

addition, the Commission has stopped all Service Providers from all promotionalactivities that will lead to increase in the volume of traffic until such a time that

there is substantial improvement in the Quality of Service on the networks. We

condemned in absolute terms the irresponsible action of major mobile operators in

embarking on promos that their networks were ill equipped to carry.

NCC has further directed that as long as the poor Quality of Service persists,


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service providers should not place any restriction or time limitation on validity of

airtime credits so that subscribers are not compelled to utilize their call minutes

within restricted time frames. It is believed that these measures will further

reduce the pressure on the networks of service providers and thus contribute to an

improvement in the Quality of Service. The major contributor to the current QoS

challenges is network capacity constraints. The operating companies have not

been able to expand their networks fast enough to meet the ever growing demand

by subscribers.

This was further aggravated by a few factors such as the near total collapse of

Nitel Long distance transmission infrastructure which a number of Service

Providers depended on for their interstate links. With the fall of Nitel also came

the collapse of Mtel which depended heavily on Nitel for its transmissionrequirements. Thus several subscribers to the Mtel service migrated to the other

three networks with its attendant effect on aggregate network capacity generally.

Other issues such as major deterioration in the public power supply situation in the

past twelve months; security challenges; theft; transmission cable cuts; delay in

securing approval for siting of new base stations; etc, have also contributed in

various degrees to the problem. With the current rapid expansion programs being

implemented by all the service providers, and other measures the Commission has

put in place, the QoS situation has started to record improvements.

The recent intervention of the Ministers of Information/Communications and the

FCT in the case of Abuja will also translate to major improvement in QoS in the

Federal Capital Territory . To ensure that this situation remains the focus of the

industry stakeholders always, the Commission has constituted an industry working

group on Quality of Service. Also, Guidelines on Infrastructure sharing which was

published last year will be strictly enforced to encourage infrastructure sharing at

all levels

The Future Outlook

At the present rate of network growth it has been predicted that Nigeria will

overtake South Africa to become the largest Telecom Market in Africa. A lot of

emphasis is also being placed on growing Nigerias data capability by promoting


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large scale broadband internet and optic fiber rollout across the country.

Sourced from Nigeria 2Day, an online publication Sept 3rd 2007

Posted by Uche Nworah at 08:16

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes! Yes!! Yes!!! Considering the fact that Nigerian administrators rarely

tell the public aboutits operational services/activities, you did an

excellent job with your presentation... You fed me nice and danddy.

All hands up for you.

With respect to IT development in Nigeria (and Africa)...I will like to

know you better:

[email protected].

10 February 2008 15:42

Bayo Adekanmbi said...

As the market transits to stable growth, Nigerian telecommunications will

remain bullish for some time to come and the winner will be the

consumers who will be better empowered to determine how they want to

be served. Its the new era of customised offerings on easy-to-use,

accessible and more reliable platforms.

Growing consumer trends like rotational churn, dual SIM on one device

and discerning consumption pattern will create intellectual demand for

business survival and be a true test of players marketing prowess. Issues

of long-term and sustainable lock-in strategy will be critical to securing asignificant consumer lifetime value.
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