The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it will use evidence-based assessments to promote fair competition and ensure smaller telecommunications operators are not disadvantaged.
Dr Aminu Maida, the NCC’s Executive Vice-Chairman, said this on Wednesday in Lagos at the Second Stakeholder Engagement Forum on the Study of the Level of Competition in the Nigerian Telecommunications Industry.
Maida, who was represented by Mrs Omotayo Mohammed, Head of the NCC’s Competition and Tariff Unit, said the study would provide evidence for appropriate regulatory decisions and help identify barriers to effective competition.
“The focus of the commission is therefore on ensuring that market power does not undermine effective competition,” Maida said.
He explained that significant market power (SMP) status alone did not establish anti-competitive behaviour, noting that market dominance could result from sustained investment, innovation and commercial success.
Maida said regulatory interventions should be necessary, proportionate and targeted at preserving competition, encouraging investment and innovation, improving service quality, and enhancing consumer value.
He recalled that the commission’s first stakeholder forum, held in January, outlined the study’s objectives, scope and proposed methodology, allowing industry participants to share their views on competitive conditions.
According to him, contributions from the first engagement helped refine the study’s approach, identify relevant market issues and strengthen the evidence-gathering process.
Maida said the preliminary findings were based largely on responses to surveys and requests for information circulated to licensees and other relevant stakeholders.
He thanked the organisations that provided the requested information, emphasising that the reliability of the assessment depended on the completeness, accuracy and consistency of the data collected.
Maida acknowledged that data limitations could affect the assessment, adding that gaps would be identified and considered when interpreting the findings.
He noted that assessing competition required more than examining market shares and the number of licensed operators. The study also considered market concentration, barriers to entry and expansion, and control over essential infrastructure.
Maida added that market conduct, consumer choice and the identification of operators with SMP were also important in determining the state of competition across relevant telecommunications markets.
He said the study was an important regulatory tool for fulfilling the commission’s responsibilities under the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 and the Competition Practices Regulations 2007.
Maida urged stakeholders to scrutinise the preliminary findings, validate the evidence and provide further perspectives before the commission reached any regulatory conclusions.
He encouraged participants to support their observations with verifiable data and practical industry experience, saying their contributions would help ensure a balanced assessment that reflected the realities of Nigeria’s telecommunications market.
Maida said PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), which conducted the study, would present its findings before stakeholders discussed them and submitted further observations.
Mohammed said the commission conducted competition studies to obtain reliable evidence for targeted regulatory decisions that would promote industry growth and protect consumers.
“Competition drives innovation, investment, sustainability, consumer choice and affordable telecommunications services. Studies like this help us obtain the evidence needed to make appropriate regulatory decisions,” she said.
Mohammed said the commission was also conducting similar studies on mobile termination rates and value-added services to gather information that would inform future regulatory decisions.
She reiterated that smaller operators were as important as larger players, adding that the commission’s decisions would be guided by market evidence and industry dynamics, as well as the need to improve consumer experience and encourage sustainable growth.
