Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman of Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC
NCC CEO Highlights Key Issues in Nigeria’s Telecommunications Ecosystem
The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, has outlined critical issues affecting businesses, consumers, and service providers in Nigeria’s telecommunications ecosystem. This was during the Virtual Stakeholders’ Forum on the Draft Application-to-Person (A2P) Licensing Framework held on Friday, December 20, 2024.
In his address, Dr. Maida emphasized the significance of A2P messaging in modern digital communication, describing it as a crucial platform for delivering transactional, promotional, and service-related notifications, such as bank alerts, healthcare reminders, and government updates.
He highlighted that the NCC’s strategic focus centers on three key stakeholders—government, consumers, and the industry. Dr. Maida noted:
Government: A2P messaging facilitates efficient communication with citizens, enhancing public service delivery.
Consumers: It ensures timely, secure, and reliable access to essential updates and services.
Industry: It fosters innovation, promotes competition, and supports sustainable growth among businesses and service providers.
Despite these advantages, Dr. Maida acknowledged significant challenges within Nigeria’s international A2P messaging space, including fraud, spam, data privacy concerns, and unequal value distribution across the ecosystem. These issues, he said, hinder consumer protection, industry fairness, and the overall growth potential of A2P messaging.
Represented by the Head of Legal and Regulatory Services, Mrs. Chizua Whyte, Dr. Maida reaffirmed the NCC’s commitment to addressing these challenges through a proposed regulatory framework for A2P messaging. This framework, he explained, seeks to foster innovation while ensuring fairness, transparency, and security within the ecosystem.
He urged stakeholders—including operators, aggregators, businesses, service providers, and consumers—to actively participate in refining the framework to meet their collective needs.
“Our goal is to create a sustainable and thriving A2P messaging ecosystem that protects consumers, promotes fair competition, and unlocks new opportunities for growth,” Dr. Maida stated.
Concluding, he reassured stakeholders of the NCC’s dedication to supporting innovation, safeguarding stakeholders’ interests, and ensuring the continuous growth of Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.