NCC Releases Pivotal Impact Assessment Report Signals Telecom Reform Drive
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has taken a bold step toward reforming the nation’s telecom regulatory framework with the official presentation of the Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) Report on Subsidiary Legislation 2024, held on Thursday at a high-level stakeholder engagement forum in Abuja.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, described the RIA as a transformative innovation in the Commission’s rule-making process. He emphasized that this first-of-its-kind initiative reflects the Commission’s commitment to participatory regulation, transparency, and stakeholder-driven governance.
“This RIA provides the telecommunications ecosystem with a unique opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of existing subsidiary legislation. It is about safeguarding public interest, encouraging innovation, and enhancing investor confidence,” Maida said.
The comprehensive RIA report, which assesses eight key subsidiary legislations, marks a significant evolution in regulatory governance, according to Maida. The focus of the review spanned across three core areas: consumer satisfaction, market impact on licensees, and alignment with national policy objectives.
Dr. Maida reiterated the Commission’s dedication to consumer welfare, noting that the RIA evaluated regulations with a strong focus on Quality of Experience (QoE).
“Consumers are at the center of everything we do. Our regulations must enhance their experience and trust in the telecoms industry,” he said.
For telecom operators and licensees, the RIA process sought to determine whether current regulations facilitate market access, foster competition, and ensure efficient use of resources.
“We want our regulatory framework to be adaptable and to remove barriers to entry while promoting fair competition,” Maida added.
On the governmental front, the report analyzed how existing rules support national policies, including digital inclusion and infrastructure expansion. The EVC described the RIA as a mechanism to align telecom regulation with broader development goals.
In a detailed breakdown of the RIA findings, Mrs. Chizua Whyte, Head of Legal and Regulatory Services at the NCC, highlighted specific focus areas such as licensing, SIM registration, subscriber management, spectrum trading, enforcement procedures, and infrastructure sharing.
“We identified areas requiring updates to remove obsolete provisions and ensure clarity of obligations. This will improve investor confidence and spur technological innovation,” Whyte stated.
She added that the report is not only the culmination of months of in-depth analysis but also the result of collaborative input from stakeholders across the industry. Their feedback played a key role in shaping the final recommendations.
