The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has introduced a sweeping licensing overhaul aimed at accelerating digital innovation and unlocking the country’s full technological potential.
Unveiled on Thursday by NCC Executive Vice Chairman Dr. Aminu Maida, the new General Authorisation Framework represents a fundamental departure from traditional telecom licensing models, offering a more adaptive approach to accommodate emerging technologies and services.
Maida, while speaking at a stakeholders’ engagement forum in Abuja, said the framework was crafted to support experimentation, encourage investment in novel technologies, and ensure Nigeria keeps pace with global trends.
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“This reform introduces a flexible and responsive regulatory licensing approach,” he said. “It is structured to embrace new and emerging services that fall outside the existing license structure.”
Three-Pronged Innovation Model
At the core of the new framework are three key instruments:
- Proof-of-Concept (PoC) Pilots: These pilots allow innovators to test new products or services in live environments, helping determine real-world feasibility, technical performance, and market viability before full deployment.
- Regulatory Sandbox: A controlled testing space where startups, service providers, and other industry players can pilot advanced technologies—such as Open Radio Access Networks (Open RAN), dynamic spectrum sharing, or edge computing—under NCC supervision and regulatory guidance.
- Interim Service Authorization: This provides temporary operational approval to novel services that do not yet fall under Nigeria’s existing license categories, ensuring innovation isn’t stifled by outdated regulatory bottlenecks.
Maida noted that the design is meant to lower the barrier to entry for startups while simultaneously giving established players a way to test cutting-edge ideas with regulatory backing.
“It creates a platform for innovators of various sizes to demonstrate feasibility, assess risk, and measure outcomes before deployment,” he said.
Responding to Global Shifts
The licensing shift comes amid rapid evolution in the global digital ecosystem, where artificial intelligence, Internet of Things (IoT), and software-defined networking are challenging legacy regulatory structures.
Mr. Usman Mamman, Director of Licensing and Authorization at the NCC, emphasized that Nigeria’s previous license framework had struggled to keep up with the pace of technological change.
He explained that the Commission has witnessed the emergence of new technologies, novel business models, and innovative services, many of which do not fit neatly into its traditional licensing structures.
According to him, the General Authorization Framework was developed after months of cross-departmental collaboration, analysis of international best practices, and internal review of service applications and proposals that could not be accommodated under current licensing norms.
“Recognizing this shift, the Commission deemed it necessary to critically re-evaluate and retool our regulatory toolkit.
“One of the key outcomes of this review is the development of the draft General Authorization Framework (GAF), a flexible, forward-looking approach to licensing that promotes innovation while ensuring regulatory oversight, consumer protection, and market integrity,” he said.
Mamman stressed that the new regime is closely aligned with Nigeria’s broader digital economy ambitions. The framework supports key policies such as:
- The Nigerian Data Protection Act 2023, which provides a legal basis for privacy and data innovation.
- The National Broadband Plan, which aims to achieve 70% broadband penetration by 2025.
- The Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003, which mandates the NCC to promote fair competition, protect consumer rights, and foster innovation in the sector.
The new licensing model aims to provide a strong foundation for Nigeria’s ambitions to become a digital innovation hub in Africa by ensuring regulatory oversight, consumer protection, and market integrity.
Maida made it clear that successful implementation will depend on collaboration. He called on mobile operators, infrastructure companies, equipment manufacturers, startups, academia, and civil society to actively participate in shaping the framework.
The new framework is expected to create room for services that involve artificial intelligence, immersive communication, space-based internet delivery (such as Starlink), fintech-layered telecom solutions, and cloud-native software deployment—all areas where Nigerian startups and innovators have begun to make notable strides.
With this move, the NCC is positioning Nigeria’s regulatory environment as an enabler rather than a hindrance to the next wave of digital transformation.