By Nkechi Eze
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has stressed the need to strike the right balance in sustaining an open, competitive and resilient telecommunications market, noting that the sector has evolved significantly over the years amid rapid technological and structural changes.
This position formed the core of the opening remarks delivered by the NCC Head of Competition and Tariff, Mrs Omotayo Mohammed, at the Stakeholders’ Forum on the Study on the Level of Competition in the Nigerian Telecom Industry, held on Tuesday at the Ikeja Sheraton Hotel, Lagos. The forum brought together industry operators, policy experts and other stakeholders to examine the current state of competition in the telecoms sector and chart a sustainable path forward.
Mrs Mohammed observed that Nigeria’s telecommunications market has experienced profound changes in recent years, driven by shifts in revenue models, evolving investment patterns and the emergence of new forms of market interaction. She noted that operators are increasingly operating in an environment characterised by rapid technological innovation, changing consumer expectations and usage patterns, rising costs of investment and intensifying competitive pressures.
According to her, these developments have occurred alongside persistent concerns relating to barriers to market entry, increasing market concentration, the sustainability of smaller players and the overall quality of service delivered to consumers. She explained that such dynamics underscore the importance of continually validating competition policy assumptions against prevailing market realities and credible evidence. “We are witnessing rapid technological change, evolving consumer expectations and usage patterns, rising investment costs, and heightened competitive pressures,” she said, adding that these factors demand careful regulatory attention.
Mrs Mohammed further underscored the need for sustained commitment to a sector that has become the backbone of Nigeria’s digital economy. She noted that the telecommunications industry contributed about 9.1 per cent to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product as at the third quarter of 2025, highlighting its critical role in driving economic growth and digital transformation. “The telecommunications sector serves as a critical enabler of growth, inclusion, innovation and service delivery across all sectors of the economy,” she stated.
Emphasising the central role of competition in the sector, she described it as the engine that drives innovation, affordability and consumer choice. However, she cautioned that competition must not only exist but must also be fair, effective and sustainable. According to her, the regulator’s responsibility is to strike a delicate balance that protects consumers, incentivises efficiency and investment, and ensures that the market remains open to new ideas and new entrants. “Our task as a regulator is to strike the right balance, one that protects consumers, rewards efficiency and investment, and keeps the market open to new ideas and new entrants,” she said.
Providing historical context, Mrs Mohammed recalled that the last comprehensive, industry-wide competition study conducted by the Commission was concluded in 2013. Since then, she explained, the NCC has undertaken a number of targeted and bespoke studies focusing on specific services and market segments, including the Mobile Voice Termination Rate study in 2018 and the Mobile Voice International Termination Rate study in 2022.
She noted, however, that the scale and pace of developments in technology, market structure and consumer behaviour since then have made it imperative to carry out a holistic reassessment of competition across the entire telecommunications value chain. Such a comprehensive review, she said, is necessary to ensure that regulatory interventions remain relevant, evidence-based and aligned with the current and future needs of the industry.
The stakeholders’ forum, she explained, is part of the Commission’s broader efforts to engage industry players and other interested parties in shaping a competition framework that promotes sustainability, innovation and inclusive growth. She expressed confidence that the outcome of the study and stakeholder engagements would provide valuable insights to guide policy decisions and reinforce the NCC’s commitment to fostering a competitive, transparent and forward-looking telecommunications market in Nigeria.
