Dr. Aminu Maida, EVC, CEO of NCC at the Heads of Regulators Roundtable during the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) Conference of Plenipotentiaries (CPL-26) in Abuja.
The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has called for stronger collaboration among African telecommunications regulators to leverage data, market intelligence, and evidence in shaping more responsive regulation across the continent.
Speaking at the Heads of Regulators Roundtable during the African Telecommunications Union, ATU, Conference of Plenipotentiaries, CPL-26, in Abuja, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr. Maida, said regulation has become central to economic growth, digital transformation, and national development in Africa.
He noted that while regulatory environments differ across countries, African regulators face similar challenges including infrastructure development, cybersecurity, affordability, satellite services, network resilience, and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence.
In a statement by Mrs. Nnenna Ukoha, Director, Public Affairs Department, NCC, Dr. Maida said “Very often, the challenge one regulator is trying to solve has already been encountered, in one form or another, by a colleague elsewhere on the continent,”
He stressed the need to make knowledge-sharing among regulators “more deliberate, systematic, and beneficial” to authorities across Africa.
Dr. Maida described the event’s theme, _“Building Africa’s Network Intelligence Ecosystem for Evidence-Based Regulation,”_ as timely and critical to the future of communications regulation.
L-R: Dr. Aminu Maida, EVC, CEO of NCC; Engr. Nadungu Gagare, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy; and Barr. Rimini Makama, Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, NCC, at the Heads of Regulators Roundtable during the 7th Ordinary Session of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) Conference of Plenipotentiaries (CPL-26) held at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja
“It gives us an opportunity to consider how better use of data, evidence and market intelligence can strengthen regulatory decisions, and how African regulators can learn more systematically from one another,” he explained.
Chairing the roundtable, NCC’s Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Rimini Makama, said emerging developments are making telecom ecosystems more complex.
“Developments such as broadband expansion, satellite services, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital public infrastructure are making communications ecosystems increasingly complex and requiring regulators to move beyond traditional regulatory approaches,” Makama stated.
She added that while regulators now have access to growing volumes of technical, market and consumer data, the real challenge is converting that information into actionable intelligence for better regulatory outcomes.
The Heads of Regulators Roundtable is part of ongoing efforts by African communications regulators to promote evidence-based regulation, deepen regional cooperation, and build more resilient, innovative, and consumer-focused communications ecosystems.
The NCC said the discussions align with its commitment to smarter digital governance that supports connectivity, security, and inclusive growth across the continent.