The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, has said his leadership is pushing for critical reforms and shifting national priorities in the telecoms sector.
At an industry engagement in Abuja, Maida announced his priority areas to strengthen the sector through effective reforms.
The NCC executive vice chairman promised prioritised data-backed regulation, compliance, and institutional efficiency.
“We are committed to strengthening the commission’s regulatory processes, ensuring transparency, and boosting sectoral confidence,” he said.
Maida’s leadership has gained presidential nod to pursue the reforms, particularly as the NCC prepares to implement the long-awaited amendments to the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003.
The draft of the amendments, currently under review, seeks to update the legal framework in response to emerging threats like cybercrime, grey areas in inter-agency roles, and technological disruptions.
Maida’s regulatory approach marks a departure from that of his predecessor, Prof. Isa Pantami (2019–2023), whose push for digital inclusion led to milestones like Nigeria’s 5G rollout.
“The 5G rollout alone is projected to add $11 trillion to the global economy by 2035,” Pantami had said in 2022.
But there were some controversial decisions, such as the NIN-SIM linkage policy, which led to the loss of over nine million mobile lines, and the Twitter ban, which reportedly cost the country $366.9 million.
To reposition the sector for better performance and be at par with global telecoms pace, the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, has launched initiatives, like the 3MTT digital skills programme and fast-tracking Nigeria’s fibre optic expansion. His efforts align with Maida’s goal of regulatory clarity, especially in infrastructure policy.
One area under urgent review is telecom infrastructure protection. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, last August, designated telecoms as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII), yet operators continue to face sabotage.
According to the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), vandalism in Lagos alone has caused over N5 billion in damages in a year.
Source: https://thenationonlineng.net/ncc-boss-maida-seeks-result-oriented-reforms-in-telecom-sector/
