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The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, said the growing need for consumer protection in the telecommunications sector was increasingly becoming complex for courts in the country.
Mr Muhammad disclosed this on Wednesday at the opening ceremony of the 2021 National Workshop for judges on legal issues in telecommunications organized by the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC.
The CJN who was represented by a Supreme Court justice, John Inyang Okoro, said: “Certainly, the telecommunications sector has experienced a significant increase in the number of service providers which makes the sector more competitive and prone to abuse, some of the risks to consumers has resulted in a number of disputes and challenges which invariably ends up in courts for adjudication”,
According to the CJN the training organized for the judges would equip them with the legal and technical skills required for adjudicating disputes in this special area of the law.
He commended the Nigerian Communications Commission for rising up to the occasion in its bid to protect consumers from unfair practices by service providers.
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Mr Muhammad promised that the Judiciary on its part would continue to interpret the relevant laws in line with extant provisions of the Law.
He said: “Let me assure you that the Nigerian Judiciary is committed to the development of the telecommunications sector and will spare no effort in ensuring transparent and speedy dispensation of justice. In this light, investors and stakeholders in the sector will be assured that their assets and investments are secured.”
In his remarks, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Umar Danbatta, stated that the increased reliance on telecommunications as well as the growth experienced in the sector has introduced some issues of legal connotation.
He said: “One of such is the ownership of online content and materials. It is envisaged that with the increase in the amount of online content, as well as the economic value attached to it, there will be conflicts as to ownership of online content and materials.
“It is necessary that your Lordships are well prepared for the imminent increase in litigation in this area,” Mr Danbatta said.
Mr Danbatta noted that with the increase in the number of transactions and businesses taking place in the online space, it was expedient for judges to be exposed to the peculiarities of adjudicating conflicts in this era of digital presence and online identity.
