The MoU was signed as NCC and CBN inaugurated a Joint Committee on Payment Systems and Consumer Protection and a Joint Committee on Telecoms Identity Risk Management System, TIRMS, Portal.

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, said the MoU provided a structured framework for cooperation in critical areas including payment system integrity, fraud mitigation, digital inclusion, and the protection of consumers, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, which he noted would translate into practical outcomes that strengthened trust, deepen inclusion, and support a secure and resilient digital economy.

Maida described the signing of the MoU as an important milestone in “the regulatory stewardship” of Nigeria’s digital economy, which reflects a shared commitment to collaboration in strengthening financial system stability, advancing digital inclusion, and protecting consumers in an increasingly interconnected ecosystem.

He said, “The Commission places significant importance on collaboration. Indeed, many of the critical milestones we have achieved in addressing some of our industry’s challenges—and even in leapfrogging our sector—have been made possible through strategic partnerships and sustained collaboration. Our collaboration with the Central Bank is not new.

“Over the years, our two institutions have demonstrated the value of close regulatory coordination. A notable and recent example is our collective effort in resolving the long-standing USSD debt impasse—an intervention that restored confidence, preserved service continuity, and safeguarded the interests of consumers, telecom operators, and financial institutions alike. That experience reaffirmed a simple truth: that complex, cross-sector challenges are best addressed through structured collaboration.

“This MoU provides a clear framework for cooperation in critical areas such as payment system integrity, consumer protection, fraud mitigation, and the responsible use of digital infrastructure. In particular, it supports initiatives that promote secure digital payments, enhance trust in mobile-enabled financial services, and extend safe access to underserved populations and MSMEs.

“For the NCC, this MoU speaks directly to one of the critical pillars of our strategic focus: leveraging cross-sectoral innovation to deliver a safe, resilient, inclusive and trusted digital ecosystem. As mobile numbers increasingly underpin identity, authentication, and financial access, collaboration with the CBN is essential to ensuring that innovation is matched with strong governance, system stability, and consumer safeguards,” Maida declared.

The EVC explained that the collaboration was designed “For the prevention of electronic fraud, which has become increasingly pervasive, with significant implications for the integrity of our digital economy. Through the Telecom Identity Risk Management System (TIRMS) Portal—which aggregates data on churned (recycled) phone numbers, as well as numbers flagged within your sector—the Financial Services Industry will now have enhanced visibility into the status of phone numbers, one of the most widely utilized resources in your sector, although regulated by the NCC.

“This means that the Financial Institutions will be able to determine when a line is active, when it has been swapped, when it has been disconnected due to inactivity and reassigned to a new subscriber, and when it has been flagged for suspicious or fraudulent activity. This ensures that our financial services industry is better equipped with timely and relevant information to effectively combat e-fraud, particularly those perpetuated using phone numbers, in the country.

“The second area I want to highlight is an overarching one that both our institutions have consistently championed: it is the protection of Nigerian consumers. With this handshake, consumers who experience issues such as airtime recharges that do not deliver value can be assured of prompt resolution within the shortest possible time. The establishment of a platform for sustained engagement, coordinated policy responses, and joint action as new risks and opportunities emerge across the digital and financial landscape by this MoU, positions our two institutions to remain proactive, aligned, and effective in fulfilling our respective mandates,” the EVC stated.

CBN Governor, Mr Olayemi Cardoso, described the MoU as one that would strengthen coordination on approvals, technical standards, and innovation trials, including sandbox testing that supports market-led solutions while safeguarding stability.

He said, “Going forward, the Central Bank of Nigeria remains fully committed to working with the Nigerian Communications Commission to deliver a safer, more resilient, and more inclusive digital financial system—one that supports national productivity, protects consumers, and strengthens trust in Nigeria’s digital economy.”

Cardoso subsequently inaugurated the Joint Committee on Payment Systems and Consumer Protection and the Joint Committee on Telecoms Identity Risk Management System, TIRMS, Portal, which he said would put the protection of consumers of both sectors from fraud at the forefront.

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 There is a moment in every generation when a country gets the chance to make a decision that reshapes the trajectory of millions of lives. Nigeria is at that moment now, and the decision is simpler than most people think.

Zero-rate educational websites. Make learning data-free. Let’s do it now.

When ALTON paid me a courtesy visit recently at the NCC’s Ikoyi office, I used the occasion to issue a clear charge: telecom operators must prioritise the zero-rating of credible educational platforms as a near-term, high-impact intervention. The response was encouraging. But encouragement is a starting point. What Nigeria needs is coordinated action across government, regulators, operators, and state houses across the federation.

The NCC is ready to lead. I am honoured to drive this work, but the vision we are executing belongs to President Bola Tinubu. He set the direction. Our role is to ensure every Nigerian child feels its impact.

The cost of data is the cost of a future

For a student in Katsina, Ebonyi, or Ekiti, the barrier to online learning is rarely motivation or intelligence. It is arithmetic: data costs money, and many families do not have that money. Asking a child to buy data before accessing a textbook is the digital equivalent of charging school fees at the gate of a public school. We decided long ago that was wrong. We must now make the same decision about data.

Zero-rating means this precisely: telecom operators allow users to access designated educational websites and digital libraries without those visits counting against their data balance. No subscription. No bundle. Just access.

This is not a radical idea. It is already working elsewhere.

In 2016, South Africa worked with mobile operators to zero-rate critical educational websites, including platforms used by university students. The initiative emerged partly in response to the #FeesMustFall movement and measurably increased access to course materials among students in rural and peri-urban areas. India’s experience is instructive on both sides. When Jio arrived in 2016 with aggressively low data pricing, it triggered one of the most dramatic expansions of digital learning the world has seen. Hundreds of millions of Indians who had been priced out of the internet gained access overnight; EdTech platforms like BYJU’s, Unacademy, and Vedantu built entire businesses on the back of that newly connected population. When you lower the cost of access, you ignite an economy. India’s telecoms regulator TRAI did, however, ban Facebook’s Free Basics in 2016 precisely because it created differential access favouring particular commercial interests. Nigeria’s approach differs: our proposal is publicly governed, government-led, and built on transparent criteria. That distinction matters.

Rwanda offers the most instructive African model. Its Smart Classroom Programme worked with operators to zero-rate the Rwanda Education Board’s digital content in government schools, combined with teacher training and device provision. Rwanda today consistently ranks among Africa’s most competitive digital economies. Connectivity and education were the foundation.

The Awolowo generation built the future on free schools. The Tinubu generation will build it on free data. We have made our choice.

Awolowo’s lesson, and a President who already understands it

A friend, responding to my public charge to ALTON, described this initiative as “Awo’s free education policy in the digital age.” The framing is exactly right.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s decision to introduce free primary education in the Western Region in 1955 was opposed, debated, and dismissed as unaffordable. He pressed on. The results were generational. The West produced a workforce that drove Nigeria’s early post-independence economy and contributed disproportionately to its professional class for decades. The dividends of that single decision are still being collected today.

Zero-rating educational websites is the digital equivalent of that bet. Operators will absorb a portion of foregone revenue in the short term; comparable analyses from South Africa and Rwanda suggest this cost, when structured properly with government support, is manageable relative to the long-term subscriber base it creates. Those same young Nigerians, educated and empowered, return to those networks as paying subscribers.

This conversation did not start here, either. I remember a session we held during President Bola Tinubu’s journey to Aso Villa, where he spoke with obvious pride about the free WAEC and NECO policy he had implemented in Lagos, then shared his vision for student loans: access to tertiary education should not depend on family finances. What was then a proposal is now operational. Close to 2 million students are already benefiting from NELFUND. We also spoke that day about data costs as a barrier to learning. That conversation is now policy in motion. President Tinubu’s commitment to inclusive education is evidenced in the free WAEC policy, in NELFUND, and in this initiative. Free data for learning is one of the most direct ways to give the Renewed Hope Agenda practical, daily meaning.

What we are asking, and what we will do

To Nigeria’s governors: in the coming weeks, I will be visiting Your Excellencies alongside Dr. Aminu Maida and other NCC board members to seek your partnership in something that can genuinely transform your states.

We will ask for your support in lowering entry barriers for operators deploying infrastructure in unserved communities. Right-of-Way costs are among the most significant obstacles to network expansion in Nigeria today. Where these fees are reduced or waived for deployments in low-connectivity areas, the effect is immediate. Connectivity does not only serve education; it opens commerce, attracts investment, and improves quality of life across every sector of a state’s economy. With it, a boy or girl in a remote village stands beside their contemporaries in any city in the world, accessing the same lectures and opportunities. We will also count on your support to protect existing and new infrastructure. Vandalism of telecoms assets is a real and costly problem, and strong state-level enforcement is a statement about what kind of future your state is committed to building.

To Engineer Gbenga Adebayo and the ALTON membership: the alignment we have reached is a foundation to build on. We see the pressures you are managing: elevated energy costs, forex pressure on equipment imports. The task we are making must be accompanied by reciprocal commitment from government, and we are prepared to deliver that. The NCC will work with operators to monitor traffic impacts and ensure capacity planning in underserved areas runs parallel to zero-rating rollout. We will work with the Federal Ministry of Education, state education boards, and civil society to identify credible platforms, publish the list, and zero-rate it under a transparent governance framework with clear eligibility criteria, a published review cycle, and an open entry pathway for Nigerian EdTech companies that meet the standard. We are also aware that zero-rated domains create VPN routing incentives; the NCC will work with ALTON on a shared enforcement approach so operators do not carry that burden alone.

To civil society and the private sector: this initiative needs champions beyond government and telecoms. Nigerian EdTech companies, development finance institutions, and corporate social responsibility programmes all have a role. Adopt a platform. Fund devices for a school. Sponsor a teacher training programme. Beyond infrastructure, every state has the opportunity to build something lasting: devices in schools, Wi-Fi in public libraries, and curated local content reflecting state languages, histories, and curricula. Zero-rated access to an empty platform helps no one. Access and content must grow together.

UNICEF and the UNESCO Institute for Statistics estimate that Nigeria has approximately 20 million out-of-school children. Millions more are in school but learning below their potential because resources that could help them sit behind a paywall called data. That is a crisis with a known, affordable solution. The question is no longer whether we can do this. The question is whether we will choose to.

As Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, I will continue to push for this with every platform available. We will engage operators formally on timelines and implementation frameworks, work with education counterparts to identify the right content, track progress, and report it publicly. Accountability is not optional here.

The Awolowo generation built the future on free schools. The Tinubu generation will build it on free data. We have made our choice.

*Olorunnimbe is the chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission.

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Picture shows, during the visit, (L-R), Abraham Oshadami, Executive Commissioner Technical Services, Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC; Tony Emoekpere, President, Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria, ATCON; Dr Aminu Maida, Executive Vice-Chairman/CEO, NCC; Rimini Makama, Executive Commissioner Stakeholder Management, NCC; Muhammed Rudman, Vice President, ATCON/ CEO IXPN.

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The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, re-affirmed the commitment when the Commission hosted a high-level delegation from the Liberia Telecommunications Authority, LTA, at the NCC’s Head Office in Abuja at the weekend.

Speaking during the LTA’s visit, Maida, who was represented by the Director of Corporate Planning, Strategy and Risk Management at NCC, Dr. Kelechi Nwankwo, emphasized the Commission’s mandate to continually collaborate with sister regulatory institutions within the sub-region and beyond to drive the expansion of digital economy and improve the living conditions of citizen.

He said, given the NCC’s long-standing commitment to regional cooperation through platforms such as the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly, WATRA, the Commission believed the region becomes stronger and more prosperous when all countries were interconnected.

The EVC further emphasized that collaboration remained a core driver of the NCC Board and that sustained engagement with regional partners was essential to advancing the interests of telecommunications consumers and various stakeholders.

Maida recalled the Commission’s advocacy for the recognition of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) as critical national infrastructure within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), noting that Nigeria had already designated ICT as part of its critical national information infrastructure to give it the prominence required for sustainable growth.

He assured the Liberian delegation of the NCC’s readiness to provide support in advancing regional shared initiatives and translating discussions into actionable outcomes within the sub-region.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the LTA, Hon. Clarence Massaquoi, commended the NCC for making itself available in the spirit of regional coordination and collaboration, describing the engagement as critical to strengthening regulatory responsibilities across the sub-region.

Massaquoi acknowledged that Nigeria remained the largest economy in the region and a central player in Africa’s communications, security, and economic structures, that progress made by Nigeria often had far-reaching impacts across other West African countries.

He explained that since his assumption of office as the Liberian chief telecom regulator, the LTA had prioritized strengthening relationships with regional institutions to support ECOWAS’ vision of integration as effective regional integration cannot be achieved without affordable and reliable communications services, particularly in addressing cross-border roaming challenges.

The LTA Chairman disclosed that Liberia had signed bilateral agreements with The Gambia and Côte d’Ivoire and was at advanced stages of discussion with Ghana and Guinea-Conakry and that the Liberian regulator remained committed to active participation in WATRA.

Massaquoi further sought NCC’s support in regulatory capacity building and the sharing of best practices, particularly as Liberia reviews its licensing regime to reflect emerging technologies and align with regional standards.

The two regulators also underscored the centrality of shared commitment to deepen collaboration, identify priority areas for engagement, and advance initiatives that will promote seamless connectivity, regional integration, and socio-economic development across West Africa.

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The action was taken in response to the rapidly growing pace of digitization.

The Head, Public Affairs, NCC, Mrs. Nnenna Ukoha, made this known in a press statement available to FrontPage.

The MoU, she said, provided a structured framework for both organisations to formalise a shared commitment to advancing data protection and regulatory synergy in Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.

She said NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman, EVC, and Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Dr. Aminu Maida, noted that data protection and privacy regulations had become important to the future of the communications industry and that effective regulation of data within the sector was critical to sustaining trust, innovation, and growth, particularly as Nigeria transitioned deeper into the digital and artificial intelligence era.

Maida, she added, stated that the NCC remained committed to cooperation with the NDPC to ensure that the privacy rights of Nigerians were adequately protected, while maintaining a resilient and forward-looking communications network.

He highlighted the remarkable growth of the sector, noting that Nigeria had evolved from about 500,000 connected telephone lines to over 170 million active connections today, reflecting the commission’s mandate to not only connect Nigerians but also enable businesses, innovation, and national development.

According to the EVC, the next phase of growth lay in emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, AI, which could not function without data generated by users of digital platforms.

He stressed that data was produced by people, belonged to people, and that citizens must be aware of the data they generated and the rights attached to it.

He warned that where such awareness was lacking, data risked being monetised without the consent or benefit of its owners.

“People need to be aware of the data they are generating, and they need to know their rights around that data. If they don’t know it, somebody will monetise it. When platforms are said to be free, they are not really free. Somebody is using your data.

“The future is data. If we do not get the principles of how we govern it right, even our national sovereignty could be undermined,” Maida said.

Maida further described data as a critical component of national sovereignty, noting that for artificial intelligence to remain relevant and beneficial to Nigeria, the country must continue to generate fresh, locally relevant data within a trusted regulatory environment.

In his remarks, the National Commissioner of the NDPC, Dr. Vincent Olatunji described the MoU as essential for protecting the data of Nigerians.

He said, “It is always difficult to go into a sector and implement your mandate effectively without involving the regulator of that sector. We are not taking over the mandate of the telecom regulator. We are adding value to what you are doing, and you add value to what we are doing.

“We do not want this MoU signed and kept on the shelf. We want to sign and commence implementation immediately to ensure that the privacy and protection of Nigerians’ data is properly taken care of,” he said.

Olatunji noted that coordination and collaboration were core pillars of the NDPC’s approach to regulating data protection and safeguarding privacy.

He expressed optimism that the partnership with the NCC would enhance effective data governance in the communications sector, adding that both agencies would share knowledge, expertise, and build capacity in areas of mutual regulatory interest to strengthen Nigeria’s data protection ecosystem.

The NCC, as the regulator of telecoms, and the NDPC, as the authority on data protection, share overlapping responsibilities in ensuring that citizens’ personal information is secure.

To avoid potential conflicts in the mandates of the two commissions as enshrined in their respective Acts, and pursuant to their statutory responsibilities, both NCC and NDPC recognize the importance of streamlining the regulatory process to avoid overlaps in their respective mandates and ensure clarity in the regulation of data in the communications sector.

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The executive vice chairman of the commission, Dr. Aminu Maida, made the commitment during the launch of the NCC’s Quarter 4 2025 Network Performance Report.

He said through its collaboration with Ookla, the NCC was providing independent insights into real-world network performance and the lived experience of Nigerians across cities, rural communities, highways, and emerging 5G zones.

“It is in this context that we have released the Q4 2025 Network Performance Reports,” he said.

He explained that the reports enabled the NCC to track progress, identify gaps, and guide targeted regulatory interventions—ranging from spectrum optimisation and infrastructure upgrades to quality-of-service enforcement and the expansion of rural connectivity.

The data, Maida stated, showed clear and steady improvements in network quality, particularly in median download speeds across both urban and rural areas, especially when compared to Q3 performance.

He said the video Quality of Experience gap between urban and rural areas had narrowed, and the strength of the 4G backbone had continued to improve.

He added: “The industry is not without challenges, as reflected in gaps in 5G services and inequalities in upload speeds highlighted in the reports. However, we are actively engaging with operators to address these issues, including gaps in mobile service coverage.

“In 2025, over $1 billion in industry investment resulted in the deployment of more than 2,850 new sites to expand both coverage and capacity nationwide. Much of the progress reflected in today’s reports is a direct outcome of these investments.”

He said the NCC had secured commitments from operators to exceed their 2025 investment levels in 2026, with infrastructure investments continuing in earnest.

“We look forward to continued collaboration with industry stakeholders as we translate these insights into better connectivity, improved service quality, and a more inclusive digital future for all Nigerians,” he said.

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NCC’s executive vice chairman, Dr Aminu Maida, made the declaration on Monday at a spectrum roadmap stakeholders’ consultation forum in Abuja.

Maida said the initiative included the Spectrum Roadmap 2026–2030 and guidelines for opening the lower 6GHz and 60GHz licence-exempt bands.

Represented by the Head of Spectrum Administration, Atiku Lawal, he said the measures aimed to improve quality of service nationwide.

His words: “Our national ambitions are growing. We want faster speeds, wider coverage, better service quality, stronger innovation and greater inclusion.

“This roadmap creates a transparent, predictable regulatory environment supporting investment, encouraging innovation, expanding access and improving service quality for all Nigerians.”

He said the lower 6GHz and 60GHz guidelines would unlock new capacity for high-speed, affordable and reliable connectivity.

“Spectrum is behind everything digital we do. Though invisible, it is indispensable to mobile, broadband, satellite, emergency and smart technologies,” Maida said.

He added that every video call, online classroom, digital transaction and connected device in Nigeria relied on spectrum.

He said, “We are preparing Nigeria for future data demands across homes, campuses, businesses, healthcare facilities and public spaces.”

The Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, Abraham Oshadami, said spectrum resources must serve every community.

“Today’s engagement reaffirms our commitment to expanding wireless broadband through foresight, fairness and national development goals,” Oshadami said.

Earlier, Atiku Lawal described the roadmap as more than a technical document, calling it a strategic blueprint for Nigeria’s digital future.

Speaking for Huawei, Dr Lola Fafore said the roadmap would drive innovation, boost broadband penetration and contribute significantly to national GDP.

The two-day forum will deliberate on initiatives shaping Nigeria’s digital future.

Source: NAN

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NCC’s Head, Public Affairs, Nnenna Ukoha, made this known on Tuesday in a statement made available.

This is coming barely three weeks after the telecom regulator was recognized as one of the top five best-performing Federal Government agencies for 2025 by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, PEBEC, – a testament to the Commission’s consistency in investment in technology for ensuring efficient service delivery.

In the BPSR 2024/2025 scorecard ranking of agencies’ websites, the NCC came second in the ranking, trailing behind Galaxy Backbone Limited, which came first while the Nigeria Export Promotion Council, NEPC, clinched the third position, from a pool of 235 MDAs, whose website were evaluated.

BPSR deployed 14 evaluation criteria include MDA’s website compliance with .gov.ng domain name, appearance and aesthetics (look and feel) of the website, content, relevance to MDAs mandate/government policy and the website’ structure.

Others include website’s responsiveness (device compatibility), security, load time, usability/ease of navigation, availability/uptime, functionality, interactivity, accessibility and capacity building.

The recognition was announced at the official release of federal government 2024/2025 Scorecard Ranking for MDAs’ Website held at the Federal Ministry of Finance Auditorium in Abuja on Monday (December 22, 2025) while the award presentation took place at BPSR’s Office on Tuesday (December 23, 2025).

The award, which is an important index metric of the National e-Government Masterplan for determining the Nigeria e-Government Status, was received by the commission in recognition of its commitment to maintaining a world-class website that enhances service delivery to the citizens.

Receiving the award on behalf of the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, the NCC’s Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, Abraham Oshadami, appreciated the BPSR for the recognition, describing the award as “another encouragement for the Commission to be a better public service institution leveraging digital platforms such as our web presence to enhance public service delivery to our various stakeholders, thereby implementing the Federal Government’s Ease of Doing Business policy direction.”

While presenting the award to the NCC, alongside other two agencies, BPSR’s Director-General, Mr. Dasuki Arabi, commended the top three for their proactive decisions in maintaining world-class websites, which are compliant with the federal government’s policy direction in effective and efficient service delivery to the citizens.

According to the DG, the 2024/2025 MDA’s websites’ ranking represents a collective effort of federal public institutions in Nigeria to be transparent, accountable and open in governance, as well as a confirmation to align with global best practices in service delivery to the citizens.

Developed about six years ago, Arabi said as a result of the annual ranking, more public institutions had indicated readiness to embrace reforms, and align with the policy direction of the current administration’s Renewed Hope agenda on improve governance for effective service delivery, as introduced by His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“The ideals of harnessing and deploying technological tools for service delivery has become imperative following the COVID pandemic, and distortions of socio-economic system of nations, culminating in the evolution of competitiveness, cost effectiveness, and agile governance.

“As engine room of governance, it behoves on us in the public service to perform our statutory duties and we must put in place technological innovations and standardized websites to operate services as well as deliver service needs to citizens,” he said.

The scorecard exercise, he said, was part of the BPSR reform broader function of conducting research on reform implementation efforts and presenting ‘best practice’ models to the entire Public Service, and to among others, improve access to government information, facilitate seamless financial transaction, eliminate corruption and cyber theft, as well as facilitate access to government services.

Speaking on the rigorous nature of the exercise that produced the top three winners, the DG said, “in the past few weeks members of the Scorecard Jury drawn from inter-Ministerial Agencies, had worked tirelessly to mill websites of selected MDAs through a rigorous process of enduring criteria for the ranking and the outcome had also passed through a quality assurance mechanism to validate the outcome.”

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The NCC was recognized alongside the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, which emerged overall best-performing agency; the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, which placed second; as well as the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigerian Ports Authority.

The recognition was announced at the PEBEC Awards and Gala Night held on Tuesday at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja.

The award celebrates transparency and efficiency in Nigeria’s public service and was presented to the commission for its “commitment to openness, accountability and operational excellence in Public Service Delivery.”

Receiving the award on behalf of the commission, the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to sustaining transparency and accountability in its regulatory approach.

He noted that the principles remain central to improving industry performance and fostering a conducive environment for telecommunications businesses to thrive.

“The commission is proud to be listed among the Top Five Best-Performing Federal Government Agencies for 2025. This recognition is an affirmation of the values that guide our work: transparency, accountability, and an unwavering commitment to regulatory excellence. It signals that the reforms we have pursued, the systems we have strengthened, and the decisions we have taken are yielding the right results.

“For us at the NCC, this honour is both a validation and a responsibility. It reassures us that we are on the right path, and at the same time challenges us to deepen our commitment to the Nigerian people

“As an economic regulator, our mandate is to create an environment where operators can thrive—an environment that attracts investment and sustains healthy competition, ensuring consumers enjoy the best possible choices.

“Nigerians can rest assured that we will not rest on our oars. We remain fully committed to ensuring that the telecom consumer receives the highest quality of service, supported by a fair, transparent, and competitive industry. We will also continue to strengthen our collaborations with all stakeholders—because meaningful progress in our sector can only be achieved through shared commitment and collective action,” Dr. Maida stated.

Speaking at the awards, the PEBEC Director-General, Zahrah Mustapha-Audu, said the event was organised to celebrate reform champions and highlight progress made in improving the country’s business climate.

“This evening is not merely an awards ceremony; it is a powerful affirmation of possibilities, honouring the champions who have moved beyond compliance, embracing excellence as the new standard for public service delivery.

“The achievements we acknowledge are the tangible result of collective resolve to make Nigeria the most attractive and predictable competitive destination for business in Africa.

“Under the unwavering leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, and the active chairmanship of Vice President Sen. Kashim Shettima, our reform efforts have been characterised by intentionality, accountability, and the strategic deployment of data.

“We understand that to fix the operational environment for businesses, we must first fix the government’s framework.”

Vice President Kashim Shettima, who chairs the council, said the awards reflected the government’s commitment to a more efficient and competitive public service.

“The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council has spent the last couple of years championing reforms that speak to the whole of our economic aspirations.

“The reforms that make it easier to do business, that restore your best confidence, that ensure our institutions work in the spirit of national growth.

“Tonight, we salute the men and women driving these institutions, when we commit to working together across MDAs, across states and across sectors, Nigeria wins,” he said.

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The confirmation was made on Tuesday after a successful screening by Senate Committee on Communications.

Adopting the committee’s report during its plenary, the Senate also confirmed Maryam Bayi (North East), Senator Ramoni Olalekan Mustafa (South West), and Ikechukwu Ugwuegede (South East) as commissioners of the NCC board.

Other members of the board confirmed by the Senate are Princess Oforitsenere Emiko (South South) and Christopher Sandy Okorie (South South).

The chairman and commissioners join the Executive Vice Chairman, Dr Aminu Maida (North West), Executive Commissioner – Technical Services, Engineer Abraham Oshadami (North Central) and Executive Commissioner – Stakeholder Management, Rimini H. Makama (North Central), who had been previously confirmed, on the board.

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