The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has called for deeper collaboration among African telecommunications and communications regulators to strengthen the use of data, evidence and market intelligence in driving more effective and responsive regulation across the continent.
According to an official statement signed by the Director, Public Affairs Department, Mrs. Nnenna Ukoha, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, made the call while speaking at the Heads of Regulators Roundtable during the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) Conference of Plenipotentiaries (CPL-26) in Abuja.
Dr. Maida said communications regulation has become increasingly central to economic growth, digital transformation and national development across Africa. He noted that although regulators operate within different market environments and legal frameworks, they face many common challenges, including infrastructure development, cybersecurity, affordability, satellite services, network resilience and the rapid emergence of artificial intelligence technologies.
He observed that exchanges among regulators often reveal shared experiences and practical lessons that can help institutions address complex policy and regulatory issues more effectively. He therefore stressed the need to make such knowledge-sharing more deliberate, systematic and beneficial to regulatory authorities across the continent.
“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,” Dr. Maida said.
The NCC Chief Executive described the theme of the roundtable, “Building Africa’s Network Intelligence Ecosystem for Evidence-Based Regulation,” as timely and highly relevant to the future of communications regulation in Africa.
According to him, the forum provides an opportunity for regulators to explore how improved use of data, evidence and market intelligence can strengthen regulatory decisions while promoting more structured learning and cooperation among African regulatory institutions.
Also speaking while chairing the roundtable, the NCC Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Rimini Makama, said emerging developments such as broadband expansion, satellite services, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital public infrastructure have made communications ecosystems increasingly complex, requiring regulators to move beyond traditional regulatory approaches.
She noted that while regulators across Africa now have access to growing volumes of technical, market and consumer data, the real challenge lies in transforming that information into actionable intelligence capable of supporting better regulatory outcomes.
The Heads of Regulators Roundtable forms 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 across the continent.
