A telecommunications stakeholder, Mr Chidi Ibisi, has urged the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to deliberately create regulatory space that will enable small operators to survive alongside dominant players in the industry.
Ibisi, Executive Director of Business Development at Broadbased Communications Ltd., made the call on Tuesday in Lagos at a Stakeholders’ Forum on the Study of the Level of Competition in the Nigerian Telecommunications Industry.
He acknowledged that innovation-led and investment-driven dominance by major operators was undeniable, but stressed that regulatory recommendations must intentionally accommodate smaller players to ensure a balanced and competitive market.
“The big players are well known. They have invested and are dominant. We cannot dispute that, but we are appealing that, in your recommendations, you allow room for small players to operate,” Ibisi said.
He emphasized the need for transparency in the competition study, noting that the industry had nothing to hide, especially as regulators were already examining market behavior.
According to him, the data required for the study is readily available and not confidential, adding that the main concern of small operators is how the findings would translate into policy actions.
Ibisi warned that without deliberate regulatory mechanisms, dominant operators could edge smaller firms out of the market—not necessarily through unfair practices, but through sheer scale and investment capacity.
“You cannot fight the big players; that is the reality. What we are asking for is a way to work harmoniously, where everyone gets a share of the market,” he said.
He urged the NCC to adopt sector-specific approaches that recognize dominant players in different segments of the industry, while deliberately creating opportunities for smaller firms.
“In every sector, there are dominant players. What we are saying is that in each sector, there should be mechanisms that allow small operators to survive,” Ibisi added.
Ibisi cited the United States telecommunications market as an example of a highly competitive environment where operators of varying sizes coexist.
He noted that the U.S. market supports nationwide, regional and rural operators, as well as small, family-owned fixed-line companies that have operated for decades.
According to him, with the right regulatory framework, Nigeria’s telecommunications industry can achieve a similar balance between large and small operators.
