Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, has stressed the importance of protecting the consumers in the telecommunications space and other sectors of the economy.

Tijani, who stated this, yesterday, in Lagos when Airtel Africa launched revolutionary AI-powered spam alert services, said stakeholders must promote data privacy, and consumers’ protection, among others.

According to him, trust is very important in businesses, “therefore, we must continue to protect individuals’ rights. We must protect against digital fraud, among others. We encourage initiatives that use Artificial Intelligence to protect the people because AI will be critical to us all.

Meanwhile, Airtel said the AI-powered spam alert service, which will be available to all its subscribers at no cost, offers Airtel smartphone and feature phone customers real-time alerts for suspected spam SMS messages.

The firm said it required no additional application to download and is automatically activated for all Airtel customers, starting from Nigeria before it is subsequently rolled out across other countries in the region.

According to research from Quartz, as of 2019, nine of the top 20 countries in the world with the highest spam rates are in Africa. With Africa’s smartphone penetration on the increase, spam messages have become a widespread issue, targeting an expanding demographic of unsuspecting individuals.

Hundreds of thousands of mobile users often receive unsolicited SMS or calls claiming to be from their network provider or government and offering irresistible benefits. In these communications, users are asked to click on links and provide personal information to claim the benefits. This action allows the scammer to gain access to users’ security information, which can then be used to commit fraud.

In response, Airtel Africa said its innovative AI-powered solution that classifies suspicious SMS messages as “Suspected Spam would tackle the menace. Also, speaking at the launch, Airtel Nigeria Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dinesh Balsingh, said: “Enhancing customer experience is our foremost priority, and we are proud to launch Africa’s first AI-powered spam alert solution. This is a game-changer for the telecoms industry in Africa and as we move forward, we will continue to address customer challenges through proactive tech-driven solutions. We are proud to launch this innovative initiative in Nigeria, our largest market in Africa, while the other countries will launch in the coming months.”

In his remarks, Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr Aminu Maida, stated: “The Airtel Spam Alert Service is of obvious benefit to the entire sector. Security is one of the major challenges to subscribers and such an innovative service from Airtel will help to tackle this issue while boosting consumer confidence.”