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.

“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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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novel services that do not yet fall under Nigeria’s existing license categories, ensuring innovation isn’t stifled by outdated regulatory bottlenecks.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.

Let me congratulate Mr. President for launching the South-East Investment Company (SEIC): “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the establishment of the South-East Investment Company (SEIC), a federally backed investment vehicle under the newly formed South East Development Commission (SEDC), in what is being described as a critical step toward closing decades-long economic gaps in Nigeria’s South-East region. With a projected capital base of N150 billion, the SEIC is tasked with mobilizing private sector funds, boosting industrialization, and driving inclusive growth in the zone”.

This is commendable. Largely, SEIC could be a management company that will work with technical partners to execute catalytic and pivotal projects in SE Nigeria. We hope to see Southeast Railways to link all the states in the region. Also, we should have Southeast Post to ensure that we have an efficient supply chain system. Finally, SEIC must invest in gas pipelines that will link all major cities in the Southeast as without energy, there will not be development. Leave marginal domains like real estate, hospitals, telecoms, etc as if you deal with the anchors like railways, postal services and energy, private investors will converge and develop those areas.

Developing the Southeast can only happen this way as the individual states do not have capacities to execute major projects.  Nigeria developed fastest when it was structured regionally!

At Abia State Diaspora Commission, we are exploring the concept of unveiling Abia Diasporas Corporation Plc, a vehicle to drive development through private investments, with the understanding that all citizens of the world are Abians, since Abia is the God’s Own State (and God’s Own People!). The Commission will explore strategic partnerships with SEIC/SEDC as the playbooks advance. In Abia, we have noted that linking all LGA headquarters with rail tracks will drive the development of rural communities since access to markets, efficient logistics, etc will accelerate economic outputs.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the establishment of the South-East Investment Company (SEIC), a federally backed investment vehicle under the newly formed South East Development Commission (SEDC), in what is being described as a critical step toward closing decades-long economic gaps in Nigeria’s South-East region.

With a projected capital base of N150 billion, the SEIC is tasked with mobilizing private sector funds, boosting industrialization, and driving inclusive growth in the zone.

According to the Presidency, the SEIC will initially be wholly owned by the SEDC but will later transition into a public-private partnership, incorporating capital from state governments, private investors, development finance institutions, and diaspora contributors. Its mandate includes overseeing targeted investments in key areas such as infrastructure, education, entrepreneurship, and other development-focused interventions.

“The SEIC represents a bold step forward in regional development. It is more than a financial vehicle. It is a long-term strategy to unlock private capital, de-risk investment, and deliver sustainable economic growth for the South-East,” said Mr. Mark Okoye, Managing Director of the SEDC, during a presentation at the State House in Abuja.

The approval comes just months after President Tinubu signed into law the South East Development Commission Act—a bill that had lingered for several years in the National Assembly before finally gaining traction in 2024. The law was touted not merely as a development tool but as a policy response aimed at addressing the deep-seated sense of marginalization that has festered in the South-East since the aftermath of the Biafran War. The region, often underfunded and underrepresented in national development initiatives, has for decades pointed to the lack of federal infrastructure projects and investment as evidence of a sustained economic exclusion.

The SEIC, inspired by the legacy of the defunct Eastern Nigeria Development Corporation (ENDC) under Dr. Michael Okpara in the 1960s, seeks to rekindle that era’s industrial growth by leveraging modern financial instruments. According to the Presidency, the company will raise funds through hybrid bonds, equity participation, and callable capital, with pilot fundraising and investments slated to begin in Q4 of 2025.

However, while the initiative has been widely welcomed, concerns about its sustainability, transparency, and scale are already being raised.

It is believed that the N150 billion capital projection is far too meagre to produce tangible transformation across the five South-East states. Some analysts suggest that the sum may not be enough to drive significant change in just one state, let alone the entire region, given the depth of infrastructural decay and youth unemployment.

There is also concern that the SEIC may end up like many other government-backed interventions—bogged down by bureaucracy, political infighting, or worse, looted by vested interests. Already, concerns are swirling that the funds could be spread thinly across multiple concurrent projects with no central focus, leading to little or no measurable impact on the region’s economy.

There’s also apprehension about whether the federal government’s commitment will remain consistent, especially if political tides shift or fiscal conditions worsen. Some believe the company’s promise of transitioning into a public-private partnership is critical, but note that success will depend heavily on investor confidence and real guarantees that funds won’t be mismanaged.

Nevertheless, the federal government insists that SEIC will undergo full regulatory and compliance vetting to ensure it operates within global standards. The Presidency said the initiative will be supported by clear governance structures, annual audits, and independent performance reviews to ensure it remains accountable and impact-driven.