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Tag: Aminu Maida

  • Maida excited at Nigeria’s success at WRC-23

    Maida excited at Nigeria’s success at WRC-23

    The leadership of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is excited about Nigeria’s impressive performance at the ongoing International Telecommunications Union (ITU)’s World Radio Communications (WRC) Conference 2023, holding in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where two Nigerians were elected into leadership positions, while some other delegates from the Commission were elected into Working Groups.

    Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Dr. Aminu Maida, speaking on the sidelines of WRC 2023 in Dubai,  announced  that the Director of Spectrum Administration at NCC, Engineer Abraham Oshadami, has been elected  Vice Chairman of the ITU’s Radiocommunication Advisory Group (RAG); while the Acting General Manager and Project Manager, Navigation Project Office, Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited, Dr. Lasisi Salami Lawal was elected Vice Chairman of the ITU-R Study Group Four (Satellite Services). Some other members of the NCC delegation were elected into WRC 2023 Working Groups.

    While congratulating the successful delegates, Maida commended the Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, who led Nigeria’s delegation to WRC 2023, for “providing guidance, leadership, encouragement and support to the Nigerian delegation at the conference.”

    The WRC Conference brings together the global community to agree on the use of the world’s finite spectrum resources, the electromagnetic waves that provide connectivity for our day-to-day technologies.

    Maida expressed delight at the outcome of the elections, stating that roles of the Nigerian elected delegates would enhance Nigeria’s global standing in the telecom space, as well as ensure that the country’s interests and goals are more aptly aligned with global best practices.

    “I am excited about the election of two of our colleagues, Engr. Oshadami and Dr. Lawal as Vice Chairs of the Key Study Groups. It is an honour for the Nigerian Communications Commission and the Nigeria Communications Satellite Limited to have produced these two intellectuals as global radiocommunication leaders.

    “Their positions will also ensure that our interests and goals aptly align with global best practices, especially as we work towards attaining the target set by the National Broadband Plan,” he said.

    He further charged them to live up to the huge expectations that the global radiocommunication community has placed on them by electing them into the roles.

    He also reflected deeply on the presence of the Honourable Minister at the event as a major booster for the delegation and a strong indication of the Federal Government’s commitment to the delegation’s participation at the WRC-23.

    The NCC boss also used his presence at the event to engage with the leadership of the ITU, as well as other leaders in the global telecom industry.

    He held meetings with the Secretary General of the ITU, Mrs. Doreen Borden-Martin, as well as the Secretary General of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU), Mr. John Omo, during which he shared his vision and priorities for the Commission, as well as potential areas of collaboration and increased Nigerian participation in the two unions.

    Maida also met with directors at the ITU, including the Director of Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT), Dr.Cosmas Zavazava; Director of the Radiocommunication Bureau (BR) Mr. Mario Maniewicz and the Director of the Telecommunication Standardisation Bureau (TSB), Mr. Seizo Onoe,

    One of the meetings was also with his UAE counterpart – the Director General of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA), H. E. Engineer Majed Sultan Al Mesmar, where they shared their perspectives on effective regulation.

  • Why competition is key in telecom sector – NCC boss

    Why competition is key in telecom sector – NCC boss

    Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigeria Communications Commission, Dr. Aminu Maida, has said competition is key to the healthy growth of the telecoms sector.

    Maida, who spoke on Wednesday when he received a delegation of management of Airtel Networks Limited in Abuja, said the Commission will give closer attention to managing the competition in the industry.

    “We are more inclined to promote competition by creating a level-playing ground for all our licensees,” he said.

    The NCC boss explained that the Commission is looking at all sides of the issue on competition in the sector.

    “Indeed, the rising cost of business is affecting every sector.  We are also looking at a win-win regulatory approach, but we need to be careful to avoid over-regulation, as over-regulation is inimical to competition in the industry,” he added.

    “The NCC has recently undertaken the review of all categories of licences, both class and individual, with a view to ensuring that our licensees are still able to work well within their capital and operating expenditure (COPEX),” he said.

    In the same vein, Maida during the visit by the Airtel delegation said, in line with regulatory approach, the Commission considers it critical to have a win-win strategies and regulatory framework in place to ensure sustainability of the telecom industry.

    “It’s critical for the NCC and telcos to develop win-win strategies for the Nigerian telecom industry so that everybody gets value. The Minister has a blueprint, the President has the Renewed Hope Agenda, and they need to achieve it while telcos need to deliver value to the customers,” he said.

    The Airtel Network delegation was led by the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Carl Cruz, who congratulated the EVC for his appointment by the President and confirmation by the Senate.

    Cruz said while the Commission deserves commendation for its competition regulatory policies and frameworks, which it has put in place over the years, such efforts must be sustained to ensure a healthy competitive environment for telecom licensees.

  • Maida urges Nokia to invest in Nigeria’s ICT R&D

    Maida urges Nokia to invest in Nigeria’s ICT R&D

    The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, has requested Nokia Networks to increase its investments in Research and Development (R&D) to support the growth of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Nigeria.

    Maida spoke when a delegation from Nokia Networks of Finland led by the Deputy Minister, Under-Secretary of State for International Trade from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Jarno Syrjala, visited the Commission recently to explore further opportunities for mutually-beneficial relationships.

    He told the delegation that the Nigerian government is keenly interested in harnessing Nokia’s capabilities through technology transfer to support Nigerian youths in technical skills.

    The Nigerian government is targeting training of three million youths in ICT skills to advance the country’s digital economy.  “We are keen on getting the youths employed, as our Ministry is targeting three million youths for skills acquisition,” the EVC said.

    Maida informed the Nokia contingent that the Commission places primacy in R&D as the bedrock of any knowledge economy, and for advancement of innovation.

    He, therefore, urged Nokia and other Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), to explore R&D opportunities to deepen local content development in Nigeria.

    While congratulating Maida on his appointment by President Bola Tinubu as Nigeria’s chief telecom regulator, Syrjala said the purpose of the visit was to explore areas of collaboration to support Nigeria’s digital economy agenda.

    Syrjala recalled Nokia’s continued partnership with communications service providers in Nigeria, as well as cable and other operators to deliver critical network systems with high performance, reliability, and security.

    He noted that Nokia already has an R&D centre in Nigeria, and would target greater investment in this regard.

  • A busy week for telecommunications – By Okoh Aihe

    A busy week for telecommunications – By Okoh Aihe

    The telecommunications industry was very busy last week. From Abuja to Lagos, activities were intense as the various stakeholders engaged in actions that could stop the industry from further degradation.

    The Senate at a plenary formally confirmed the appointment of Dr Aminu Maida as the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) after considering the report of the Committee on Communications headed by Senator Ikra Bilbis.

    By Thursday, Maida hopped into Lagos with his team for a much needed stakeholders meeting with the industry. Without doubt there would be so much to talk about a frontline industry whose fortunes have started to dip in a very painful way.

    Also within the week, the Commission told the Senate joint committee considering the 2024-2026 MTEF-FSP that it was unable to meet its revenue projection for 2023 because a couple of the frequencies put out for sale through an auction were snubbed by the industry.

    The Lagos meeting was an opportunity for Maida to introduce himself to the industry but the matter at hand was nearly overwhelming, and the new chief executive dived in straight, am sure, to the delight of the Lagos audience that would appreciate his frankness and boldness.

    He will work with his team at the regulatory commission to reposition the industry that has done well for the nation although it has fallen on hard times recently. He would work on the side of the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy to execute his policies for the communications industry and breathe fresh lease of life on the sector.

    Under him, quality of service (QoS) in the telecommunications industry would be tackled with urgency. The Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) would enjoy fresh attention and be repositioned to function effectively. InfraCos, once hailed as  industry game changer, will be reactivated to play their role. But he pleaded for the cooperation and understanding of the industry players to make his dream come through, he would need the relevant stakeholders to keep his back.

    The industry embraced his enthusiasm with determined caution. In their hearts the CEOs may have been saying: we have seen them all, the absolutely strategic regulator on one hand, and the bozos on the other, who exploited the power of the regulator to manipulate the industry to position of personal advantage. The regulator once reputed for transparency acquired a coat of many colours that wasn’t a pleasant testimony. They have seen them all.

    But the industry had something to say too. It wasn’t just the dumb lamb before its shearers. They were cautiously optimistic about the coming of the EVC and were excited about his seeming sincerity. But they have their own story. The regulatory terrain has been awkward for some time. Call tariffs are no more congruent with the reality of the nation’s economy, not only because of the dollarisation of the entire system but more because of inflation which stood at 27.33 per cent in October. Yet they have to import their hardware and pay all kinds of bills in dollars. The running of the generators at the base stations with diesel has been ceded to the tower operators who remain part of the industry and are paying humongous bills. Call tariffs really are no longer very convenient and competitive to support the huge investment in the industry.

    The operators also expressed the worries that telecoms infrastructure have been subjected to serious and serial vandalisation, sometimes, creating protracted downtime in some instances. They therefore requested that this administration should work towards declaring telecom infrastructure a critical national infrastructure (CNI) in order to send a very strong message to the rogue community of vandals.

    Abuja, the Federal Capital territory (FCT) presents a different industry worry. Previous administrations had made service rollout difficult for operators because of some troubling policies of the government. The result is that telecom signals have remained poor in the territory, thus creating a community of disenchanted and unhappy subscribers. The operators appealed to the EVC to use his good offices to change the narrative.

    An industry source at the meeting told this writer that Maida looked calm, respectful and knowledgeable about the industry, some great qualities the source expects, would support him to do well in the office of the EVC. Although still early in the life of this administration, the industry looks positive about the outcomes he may bring to the sector.

    His focus areas serve an indication that Maida has taken a dispassionate look at the commission and industry, and is sincere enough to x-ray them for good and for growth. Under the last administration the agency lost focus and transmogrified into a contract awarding agency instead of the regulator it is.

    All of a sudden, Nigeria happened to NCC (suffered the faith of the nation where projects fail), losing focus and pursuing inane projects that had little place in the plan of the commission for the industry. It was bedlam, chaos and confusion. Conflict of interest reigned as projects were designed with predetermined personal end results. This is the agency that Maida has come into and on whose platform he went to address the industry last week.

    But the meeting at the National Assembly in Abuja where the agency confessed an inability to meet revenue target should be of considerable interest to Maida, for obvious reasons. One. Previous administration, for reasons very difficult to understand, gave the impression that NCC is a revenue generating agency, which it is not. One of the activities of the Commission is to trade on spectrum on behalf of the government, which money goes straight to the federation account. Appointees who had never imagined that volume of money started to have weird assumptions of their ephemeral positions.

    “Our revenue projection from spectrum fee was N387.4 billion. But we ended up earning N199.8 billion as of September 2023, which is a significant difference from the projected revenue,’’ Yakubu Gontor, Director, Financial Services explained.

    The reason for this default is that the 600MHz and 35MHz offered for sale were shunned by the industry.

    Let me say something about this. The industry ran away from the auctions because the regulator was becoming less transparent in its activities. Yet, the king, in uncontrolled braggadocio, never admitted any fault,  never admitted it was naked!

    For instance, the first 5G auction held in December 2021. In the Information Memorandum, the commission stated there would be no other auction for two years. But the following year, the commission was pressured by politicians into organising another auction, thus breaking its own rules, which immediately sent wrong signals to the industry. There were other spectrum transactions that had become even more controversial on who got involved or who profited. How would any reasonable person fork out hefty amounts for such amorphous transactions that had no respect for rules of engagement?

    Let me also add that the 600MHz band is encumbered at the moment. The band  belongs to the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC). Until the digital switchover (DSO) is completed and compensation made to the NBC and its operators, it may not be wise for anybody to make significant investment in them for telecoms operations.

    This writer has the reliable information that although the industry is anxious to embrace Maida, there is likely going to be a wait-and -see attitude to determine whether he will continue in the old ways.

    The NCC remains a regulator but it has a big headache at the moment  which  only sincerity can cure.

  • Excellent quality of service non-negotiable in telecom industry – Maida

    Excellent quality of service non-negotiable in telecom industry – Maida

    The Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida has said that quality of service in the telecommunications sector is non-negotiable as he called for industry collaboration to make this a reality.

    Maida, who spoke in Lagos at an interactive session with chief executive officers in the industry on Thursday, assured of collaborations within the industry and commitment to transparency in the telecom ecosystem.

    He told the industry chieftains to appreciate that they have a very important role to play in an industry to consolidate on the achievements already recorded in the sector, which is an enabler of Nigeria’s digital economy.

    Speaking as his confirmation as the substantive chief executive officer of the Commission was taking place at the Senate Chambers, Maida noted that the expectations of telecom consumers are very high.

    “People actually expect telecom services to work. I don’t think they really appreciate what it takes to deliver these services. So, it has come to a stage they just see telecom service as utility like water and electricity. Like a social service, it needs to work. We need to really come together in the industry and deliver value to the customer,” he said.

    He also spoke about compliance to industry regulations and standards. “When it comes to compliance, this is an area where we are going to be placing a lot more focus, and things are going to be a lot more urgent.  I am not going to be asking for compliance after the fact. That is going to be a very key area of focus for me.

    “So, we owe it to ourselves to benchmark ourselves against the best, not against other sectors. We have to just take ourselves as setting the benchmark for every person else. So, let people compare and say we have to be as good as telecom.”

    On broadband, Maida said the Commission has a very short time to do so much. “A lot has been done with the Infrastructure Company (InfraCo) licensing. We just have to re-imagine, look at it again, and see whether that is the right approach and re-imagine how we approach it.  We now need to start getting into the states, and perhaps we might need to sit down and see how we can do that differently. Again, on the broadband issue, we need to increase the investment,” he said.

    The new NCC boss said that he considered operating entities as a very crucial segment of the national telecom development, hence his desire to hear directly from industry CEOs about the issues, challenges, and opportunities.

    “We also have to be clear that this is not just a conversation about you representing your shareholders. This is a conversation about Nigeria. This is a conversation about moving Nigeria forward. So, your shareholders are one part of your stakeholders, but Nigerians are also another critical, in fact, your most important stakeholders. So, this conversation is going to be about you having your shareholders, but you also have Nigerians to whom you will have to deliver services,” he said.

    The CEOs, who expressed delight at the consultative approach of the EVC, promised to work closely in support of Maida’s mandate.

    President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Tony Emoekpere, said the industry is reassured by the steps that Maida has taken in convening the interactive session. “We are really encouraged that your first action is to meet with us here at this interactive session. What you have done to invite us here to hear what we have to say is the right step,” he said.

    Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, commended the interactive session for providing a platform for discussing the issues in the industry. He said the approach of the new boss of the NCC is very promising.

  • What new NCC EVC, Maida told Senate screening committee

    What new NCC EVC, Maida told Senate screening committee

    The Senate on Thursday in Abuja confirmed the appointment of Dr. Aminu Maida as the substantive Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

    Maida was confirmed by the Senate during its plenary session where it adopted a report of the Senate Committee on Communications that screened Maida on Wednesday, November 15, 2023.

    The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Communications, and former Minister of Communications, Senator Ikra Aliyu Bilbis, who submitted the report submitted the report urged the Senate to consider the request of President Bola Tinubu for the confirmation of Maida for appointment as the country’s Chief Telecom Regulator.

    He said the Committee had screened Maida, who had earlier passed all scrutiny by the relevant security agencies in the security governance sector.

    Bilbis informed the Senate that Maida possesses the requisite qualifications, professional experience, competence, and regulatory capacity to ensure accelerated development of the nation’s telecommunications sector. He urged the Senate to approve the nomination of Maida by Mr. President.

    Consequently, the Senate proceeded to confirm the appointment of Dr. Aminu Maida, through a voice vote to serve a five-year term in office, subject to renewal by the President.

    Earlier at his screening by the Senate Committee, Maida responded to questions related to his insights into the industry, qualifications, experience, suitability, and competence to manage the nation’s telecom regulatory sector, and was variously described by members as the round peg in a round hole.

    Maida told the committee that his top priorities are to improve coverage and connectivity by bridging access gaps between rural and urban communities through increased broadband infrastructure as well as increasing the quality service (QoS) and quality of experience (QoE) for the consumers to enable them to get value for money.

    He also stated that, under his stewardship, he would ensure that the Commission’s licensees numbering over 8,000 across different segments of the sector, are made to adhere strictly to their Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with their consumers in terms of service delivery.

    Maida also said that he would create a more conducive environment for investment in the sector. Maida also promised to work with the dynamic team at the NCC to “re-think” how the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) would be better leveraged to bridge the extant digital divide in the country.

    The new Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria’s telecom regulatory authority also promised to prioritise inter-agency collaboration towards achieving the current blueprint for the digital economy sector, just as he said that the ongoing review of the NCA 2003 would lead to greater innovation for improving the performance of the sector and solicited the support of the National Assembly to succeed.

    Maida further emphasised his commitment towards aligning regulatory activities with the Strategic Plan of the Ministry of Communications, Innovations and Digital Economy, developed to accelerate the actualisation of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government.

  • Senate confirms Aminu Maida as NCC EVC

    Senate confirms Aminu Maida as NCC EVC

    The Senate has confirmed the appointment of Dr. Aminu Maida as the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC).

    This followed the presentation and adoption of a report of the Committee on Communication by the Chairman Sen. Bilbis Ikra(APC- Zamfara) at the Committee of the Whole on Thursday.

    Presenting the report Ikra urged the Senate to consider the request of President Bola Tinubu for the confirmation of Maida for appointment as NCC Chairman.

    He said the request was in accordance with Section 8 (1) of the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) Establishment Act, 2003.

    He said the committee had screened Maida, saying that he passed all security clearance, possessed the requisite qualifications, professional experience, competence and regulatory capacity to further ensure success of the NCC.

    He therefore urged the senate to approve the nomination.

    Senate, thereafter confirmed the appointment of Aminu Maida, as Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC.

    Recall President Tinubu approved the appointment of Maida in October.

    During an interaction with NCC’s members of staff in Abuja, new NCC boss said he will align its regulatory focus to achieve the Renewed Hope Agenda in the present administration.

    He also said that he would align with the promises of Tinubu to advance the nation’s digital transformation agenda.

    Maida, who spoke to the senior management team of the commission, said there was the need to ensure that the NCC strategically focused on ensuring all Nigerians’ access to affordable and reliable broadband services.

    He said part of this was to ensure effective broadband infrastructure diffusion across the length and breadth of Nigeria.

    The new telecom regulator paid tributes to his predecessors for their laudable roles in building a resilient telecoms industry.

    The EVC said the pursuit of improved quality of service on the networks would be one of his priorities, as well as supporting the administration’s vision through the Ministry of Communications, Innovations and Digital Economy.

    Maida said, “Considering the fact that many people are going more digital and virtual in everything they do, the telecom infrastructure is now under much stress.

    “President Tinubu’s vision emphasises the need to build more robust broadband connectivity that will not only facilitate seamless digital transactions but also serve as the bedrock for e-governance and other socio-economic initiatives.

    “As such, we would align with this aspiration to increase broadband penetration to 70 per cent and to cover 90 per cent of the population by 2025.

    “Therefore, we need to build a reliable telecom industry with impressive quality of service (QoS) indicators with quality of experience (QoE) as our watchword and ultimate goal.”

    He said his tenure would address a number of issues such as the Right of Way (RoW) challenge, ensuring security of telecom infrastructure, among others.

    Maida said efforts must be made to significantly improve service delivery by ensuring the NCC was performance-driven.

    “Mr President has a very clear agenda from which all of us are going to take our direction. The two major areas are job creation and enabling the digital economy.

    “Where we are going in a nutshell is; everything that we do in this Commission has to align directly with the Strategic Plan of the Minister of Communications, Innovations and Digital Economy.ĺ

    “We will not entertain anything that deviates from this direction because my key performance indicators (KPIs) are fed into the Minister’s KPIs and the President KPIs come from the electorate that put him into power.”

    “The Minister has said clearly that he is ready to build a robust digital infrastructure and empower three million Nigerians digitally and we have to do our best to support him in this regard,” he said.

    Maida stated that in the Strategic Plan of the Minister, there was a plan to empower three million Nigerians in digital skills and entrepreneurship.

    He said this would require the commission to support Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) as a digital training institution, to be well positioned in driving the government’s agenda on youth empowerment.

    The EVC also emphasised the importance of effective spectrum management and utilisation in supporting the envisioned digital connectivity agenda.

    This, Maida said, was critical to service deployment to the generality of Nigerians and businesses in the country.

    He appreciated his predecessors and the entire staff of the commission for the laudable role being played in digital transformation of all sectors by stimulating the deployment of baseline telecom infrastructure.

    The EVC called on the commission’s members of staff to join his leadership with a sense of purpose as a team towards advancing the actualisation of the president’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

    He said it recognised a thriving digital economy in achieving sustainable development and quality of life for all citizens.

  • Maida applauds Project Train 3M on ICT Skills

    Maida applauds Project Train 3M on ICT Skills

    The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida has applauded the proposal by the Hon. Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, to enlist and train three million Nigerians over a period of four years, which will make the country an exporter of digital skills.

    Maida, who spoke recently in Lagos at the City Business News Summit, said the programme, which has already attracted 1 million applicants, is capable of increasing Nigeria’s pool of technically-skilled persons in the global market leading to potential employers of digital and technical skills in the international scene to begin to engage more Nigerians.

    Speaking on the theme of the summit, ‘Repositioning Nigerian Economy through Telecommunications: 2023 and Beyond’, NCC boss noted that, in recognition of the rapid pace of technological advancement that is disrupting industries across the globe, Nigeria’s vision is rooted in the belief that embracing this disruption and fostering innovation will propel the nation toward sustainable growth, economic diversification, and enhanced living standards for all Nigerians.

    Represented by the Commission’s Director of Research and Development, Ismail Adedigba, the NCC’s chief executive officer said “the vision is, thus, to accelerate the growth of Nigeria as a global technical talent hub and a net exporter of talent; to deepen and accelerate our position in global research in key technology areas and raise the complexity and dynamics of our economy by significantly increasing the level of digital literacy across Nigeria. In this regard, the Honoruable Minister is looking to create a pipeline of three million technical talents.

    “This programme, which has commenced already with over 1 million applications by potential trainees, is expected to increase the level of digital and technical skills among Nigerians, especially young and middle-level talents, to 70 per cent by the end of 2027. This will position Nigerians to productively contribute to the economy and place us in the top 25 percentile of research globally in the key areas of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), IoT, Robotics, Blockchain, and Additive Manufacturing in keeping with the strategic plan unveiled by the Honourable Minister,” he said.

    Maida said the policy direction of the Ministry, which is being driven by five pillars, will deliver on the goals of fostering economic growth and development. These pillars which include policy; infrastructure; innovation, entrepreneurship and capital; trade  and knowledge, are the bedrock of the Strategic Vision Plan (2023 – 2025) and form the guide to channel our efforts to harness the potential of the telecommunications sector and drive positive change in Nigeria.

    He said the Commission remains committed to providing an enabling environment for the building of the critical infrastructure required to power a strong digital economy, guarantee improved access to quality broadband connectivity, and the efficient management of the nation’s spectrum resources.

    “As we work with our supervising Ministry – Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy – to take these steps to provide the enabling environment for repositioning the Nigerian Economy through telecommunications in 2023 and beyond, we call on Nigerians—and especially our compatriots in the media—to tap into the aspects of these interventions that are relevant to them. The ambitious plans we have set out may seem lofty and even incredible, but through strategic partnerships and collaborations with all stakeholders, we believe that they are achievable,” the EVC said.

  • NCC underscores role of ICT in fighting financial crimes

    NCC underscores role of ICT in fighting financial crimes

    Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said effective application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is critical in combating financial crimes by enabling real-time surveillance, regulatory compliance, and secure data processing, just as it sought a multidisciplinary and multi-stakeholder collaborations to address issue of illicit financial flows in the country.

    Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Commission, Dr. Aminu Maida, who was a speaker at the 11th Anniversary Lecture Series of RealNews Magazine in Lagos on Tuesday, where he was also inducted into the RealNews Hall of Fame in recognition of his outstanding contribution as Guest of Honour at the event, said robust ICT systems are critical for preventing and investigating financial crimes or mitigating the risks associated with virtual assets in the financial markets.

    Maida, who was represented at the forum by the NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka, described financial crimes as “criminal activities that involve transactions, abuse, misuse, deception, or manipulation of financial systems for personal gain.” He said the crimes also include a wide range of offenses such as Insider abuse, money laundering, terrorism financing, embezzlement and all kinds of fraud.

    He said while financial crimes do not only have a huge economic and social impact but can also be linked to violent crimes that lead to loss of lives, they also threaten the integrity, trustworthiness, stability, security, safety, and future of an entity such as a country, enterprise or an individual.

    Maida told the audience comprising representatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), among other stakeholders, that the scope of financial crimes has broadened and created further concerns as a result of increasing adoption of digital technologies, the emergence of new technologies, and the often-transnational nature of the crimes.

    The Nigeria’s chief telecom regulator said though, as ICT systems get more complex, so do cybercriminal activities, just as criminal actors take advantage of the inherent and emerging flaws identified in the ICT systems exploiting these flaws and causing harm, the same technology has to be positioned to track movement of illicit movement of funds in and out of the country.

    “Nigeria’s telecoms sector has grown significantly, resulting in massive amounts of data being generated on a daily basis, the advent of advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) provides a gateway to identify suspicious digital patterns indicative of crime.  Through partnerships with financial institutions data can be filtered to identify these suspicious patterns and nip them in the bud. These technologies provide real-time transaction monitoring, allowing for a proactive approach to crime prevention” Maida said.

    Maida further stated that to combat financial crimes, innovative solutions such as blockchain, instant payments, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data analytics, regulatory technology solutions, and automated procedures are being deployed, adding that the use of technological tools has made it significantly easier to deal with financial crime while building a long term strategy for combating it.

    Meanwhile, Maida stated that, aside ensuring increased access to telecommunications services, the Commission has established the Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT),  a group of experts in the Commission to handles security incidents that can affect the operations of organisations and individuals; incorporated biometric authentication in the use of telecom services and financial transactions on telecom carriers with strict enforcement of compliance by the licensees; as well as enabling digital forensics, among others.

    In addition to the need for public education and understanding of internet safety, which are important in limiting the risks linked with the spread of criminality via technology, Maida emphasized the need for increased collaboration and international cooperation to effectively tackle financial crime. “Also, continued investment in ICT solutions, as well as a multidisciplinary and multi-stakeholder strategy, combining technology specialists, legal professionals, and legislators, as a critical approach in keeping up with emerging criminal methods,” he said.

  • Robust FinTech critical for deepening financial inclusion in Nigeria – Maida

    Robust FinTech critical for deepening financial inclusion in Nigeria – Maida

    The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, has described the Financial Technology (FinTech) industry as a critical driver of financial inclusion of Nigerian citizens living in the underserved and unserved communities across the country.

    Dr.  Maida made this known in his keynote address at the 2023 edition of the annual Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA) FinTech Forum which focused on, “Harnessing Nigeria’s Fintech Potential: Challenges and Opportunities” and took place in Lagos recently.

    The EVC, who was represented at the event by the Controller of NCC Lagos Zonal Office, Mr Henry Ojiokpota, stated that the theme of the forum was suitable at this time for a discourse about the financial industry given the significant rise in digital financial services across the nation.

    The EVC said Fintech is revolutionizing Nigeria’s financial ecosystem as it represents a positive disruption to the conventional financial system. Maida stated that financial technology’s emergence to leverage technology to enhance financial services such as mobile banking, borrowing, investment, and cryptocurrency, comes as an enhancer and enabler of business and other opportunities in the sphere of innovation, job creation and investment that further stimulates economic growth.

    The EVC stated that fintech applications such as robo-advisors, payment apps, peer-to-peer (P2P) lending apps, investment apps, and crypto apps, among others, create business opportunities for individuals. He also stated that the adoption of these Fintech applications for socioeconomic gains by the youth, who account for 70 per cent of Nigeria’s population, will add value to the economy.

    Maida recalled recent industry statistics citing active subscriptions across mobile networks in Nigeria, which hit 220.7 million in August 2023, to demonstrate that the Nigerian Fintech ecosystem can offer an array of financial services to telecom subscribers.

    He said the Commission will continue to expand and enhance telecommunications infrastructure to enable robust Fintech services, and address consumer concerns, and regulatory challenges in the sector because the optimal utilization of digital technologies will enhance the provision of financial services to rural communities and underserved segments of the population through leveraging of high mobile phone penetration in Nigeria.

    “Therefore, Fintech has the potential to deepen the existing payment and financial system infrastructure to reach unserved and underserved areas and further stimulate economic growth”, Maida said.

    He said the Commission has begun implementing new strategies to meet the new target of 70 per cent Broadband penetration by the year 2025 as contained in the Nigerian National Broadband Plan 2020-2025 and the blueprint released by the Honourable Minister for accelerating the growth of the digital economy sector through technology.

    The EVC said these policies and strategies have huge implications for enhancing derivable benefits of the Fintech industry as well as significantly and positively impacting Nigeria’s goals on financial inclusion and the digital economy at large.

    The NCC boss promised that the Commission will continue to support the Fintech industry in harnessing its enormous potential and will not rest on its oars in its strides to address the challenges in the sector, including improving the provision of secured infrastructure that support the delivery of digital financial services in efficient ways. He also reiterated the Commission’s focus on maintaining minimum standards in Quality of Service (QOS) to ensure uninterrupted connectivity to enhance sectoral contribution to the economy.

    The EVC stated that the Commission, in support of its vision in this sphere, has implemented a Memorandum of Understanding with CBN on boosting payment systems and financial inclusion, which is in line with the Nigeria Payments System Vision 2025. He also informed that NCC will continue to play an important role in harnessing the potential of Fintech through maximum support for Fintech policies, enforcing regulations, and strengthening collaborations with relevant authorities.