Litigations on telecom becoming complex for courts – CJN

The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, has said the growing need for consumer protection in the telecommunications sector is increasingly becoming complex for courts in the country.

Muhammad disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja at the opening ceremony of the 2021 National Workshop for judges on legal issues in telecommunications organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

“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”, the CJN who was represented by a Supreme Court justice John Inyang Okoro, said.

The CJN said there is no doubt that the training organised 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.

He said the Judiciary on its part will 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 welcome address, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, said the increased reliance on telecommunications, as well as the growth experienced in the sector has introduced some issues of legal connotation.

“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 a 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,” Danbatta said.

Also, he said, with an increase in the number of transactions and businesses taking place in the online space, it is also expedient for judges to be exposed to the peculiarities of adjudicating conflicts in this era of digital presence and online identity.