Globally, it is widely acknowledged by economic experts, political leaders and other decision makers that evidence-based data remains the most vital tool for effective planning, policy formulation and implementation for sustainable growth at all levels of governance.
Over the years, evidences have continued to show that countries, organisations, businesses and even individuals that prioritize the use of credible data in their plans for improved performance in their endeavours are doing far better than those running without reliable statistical data guiding them on the desired destinations.
A classical example of the criticality of data to decision making and target achievement is in the global investment space, where on a daily basis capital market and other investment markets’ regulators are churning out data on the performances of listed entities on their exchanges. These data have become the tool old and potential investors are using to guide their investment decisions on stocks and other instruments on those exchanges.
In Nigeria, while application of data for planning and development has been generally recognised over the years by organized private sector (OPS) players as crucial to sustainable growth of their entities, the narrative is not totally the same in the public sector as many Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) don’t really consider data as the pedestal for guiding the implementation of policies and programmes.
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Even when the National Bureau of Statistics, the national statistical coordinating agency, is seeking data from some of the MDAs to assist it in the computation of statistical data on Inflation, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Capital Importation, Unemployment and other critical indices, some MDAs are not always finding it easy to provide these details as of and when due just because they don’t understand the roles of quality data in achieving their constitutional mandates.
But then, one of the few public agencies that have consistently prioritized evidence-based data in their regulatory roles and today stands out as a frontline crusader of open data for development is the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). Even before the unveiling of the $1 trillion economy target by the Federal Government last year, the commission had been updating the public, particularly telecoms customers in the country, on the state of the industry’s quality of service (QoS), infrastructure assets, challenges and prospects on a timely basis.
With the unveiling of the ambitious $1 trillion economy agenda by the government last year, the Dr. Aminu Maida-led management of the commission has broadened the scope of its data sharing on the state of the telecoms industry with a view to factually guiding investors and telecoms customers on investment decisions and tariffs plans.
For instance, it is a well-known fact that the NCC is reeling out data on telecoms infrastructure, telecoms subscription rate, teledensity, QoS, network hiccups, assets vandalism, tariff rates and other developments in the telecoms industry on a daily/weekly/monthly basis with the attendant implications for growing investor confidence and customer satisfaction in the capital-intensive industry.
This open data strategy of the commission’s management, as some industry analysts have noted, is driven by the understanding of the Dr. Aminu Maida-led team that the telecoms industry remains the propelling engine for driving the $1 trillion digital economy target set by the government to position Nigeria among the biggest economies globally by 2030.
Commenting on the NCC’s evidence-based data strategy in the telecoms industry regulation during a chat with our correspondent, a renowned economist, Dr. Muda Yusuf, said quality data represented the foundational pillar of effective regulation and that without reliable, timely, and comprehensive data, it becomes exceedingly difficult to assess the performance of a regulatory regime or determine whether its objectives are being achieved.
He explained: “Data is not merely supportive of regulation—it is central to its credibility, efficiency, and impact.”
Describing data as the backbone of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), Yusuf, who is also the Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise (CPPE), maintained that effective regulation required continuous monitoring as data enables regulators to measure compliance levels, evaluate outcomes, and assess whether policy interventions are delivering intended results, and provides the basis for evidence-based decision-making rather than assumption-driven regulation.
He further clarified: “Through systematic data collection and analysis, regulatory agencies can establish performance benchmarks, track trends, and evaluate sector-wide developments. This strengthens oversight and ensures that regulatory frameworks remain relevant and responsive to evolving realities.
“Data enhances transparency and accountability within the regulatory ecosystem. When regulatory decisions are grounded in verifiable evidence, they inspire greater confidence among stakeholders—investors, operators, consumers, and the broader public.
“Access to credible data enables regulators to protect stakeholders more effectively. It allows them to identify emerging risks, detect irregularities early, and intervene before systemic problems escalate. In this sense, data is a safeguard for both sector stability and investor confidence”, Yusuf added.
According to him, beyond sectoral oversight, quality data has broader macroeconomic implications as economic transformation, particularly the ambition of building a trillion-dollar economy, depends fundamentally on investment, productivity, and sustained growth.
The CPPE boss further maintained that in the telecoms industry, investors require a stable, predictable, and transparent regulatory environment, adding that regulatory institutions, in turn, need reliable data to create such an environment.
He expatiated: “Data enables regulators to obtain meaningful feedback from stakeholders, calibrate policies appropriately, and foster conditions conducive to business expansion. In this context, data is not simply a regulatory tool—it is an enabler of growth and economic transformation.”
In his concluding remarks on the NCC open data strategy to grow the telecoms industry, Yusuf pointed out that quality data remained indispensable in any regulatory environment as it strengthens monitoring, enhances transparency, supports risk-based supervision, improves decision-making, protects stakeholders, and promotes investor confidence, adding that ultimately, effective regulation—and by extension, sustainable economic growth—cannot exist without it.
Speaking on the commission’s data-centric approach to telecoms industry growth and the implications for the achievement of the S1 trillion economy target by 2030, a world-class statistician and former Director, Statistics Department of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr. Muhammed Tumala, attested to the fact that the NCC had emerged as one of the country’s most data‑driven public institutions, using evidence‑based regulation to strengthen the telecom sector and accelerate national economic growth.
According to him, by publishing timely weekly and monthly industry data, the NCC ensures transparency, supports investor confidence, and enables informed decision‑making across government and the private sector.
Tumala, a former President of Nigerian Statistical Association (NSA), now Chartered Institute of Statisticians of Nigeria (CISON), noted that the commission’s data‑centric approach had helped to identify market gaps, track broadband penetration, and guide policies that expand digital infrastructure—an essential foundation for Nigeria’s ambition to achieve a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
He elaborated: “Equally important is the NCC’s commitment to digital literacy. Through nationwide awareness campaigns, training programs, and consumer‑education initiatives, the Commission is equipping millions of Nigerians with the skills needed to participate in the digital economy. Improved digital literacy boosts e‑commerce, enhances productivity, and expands opportunities for innovation and tech‑enabled jobs.
“Together, the NCC’s data‑driven regulation and digital‑skills initiatives create a more competitive, inclusive, and technology‑enabled economy. These efforts position the telecom sector as a major catalyst for Nigeria’s economic transformation and its journey toward the $1 trillion milestone”, Tumala added.
As the above experts have clarified and many others have attested to, the results of the Dr. Aminu Maida-led management of the NCC on open data strategy to grow the telecoms industry and use it as the hub for driving the $1 trillion economy agenda of the government are already reflecting based on improving investments in telecoms infrastructure, increasing digital payment operators’ entrance into financial system as well as the growing contributions of the telecoms industry to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), amongst other performance assessment parameters.
To demonstrate that the NCC’s open data strategy is working, more investors, including foreign ones, are investing in the telecoms industry, a development that has positive implications for achieving the $1 trillion economy target.
For instance, the latest data from the NBS on Nigeria’s GDP growth in Q3 2025 indicated that the telecommunications sector remained a major driver of the nation’s economic driver, contributing 6.58% to total GDP (N7.47 trillion), representing 5.78% year-on-year growth. With that the sector remains the biggest contributors to the growth in the non-oil sector.
To further sustain the sector’s improving performance, the NCC in January this year approved six new Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to operate in the country, thereby increasing competition in the broadband market.
The regulatory authorization of the ISPs, which takes effect from January 1, 2026, increased the total number of licensed ISPs in the country to 231, up from 225 in December 2025.
The newly licensed ISPs are Intellvision Technologies Limited, Granet Technologies Limited, Fiber Sonic Limited, Dasol Solution Services Ltd, Boost ISP Limited, and Amazon Kuiper Nigeria Limited.
Similarly, following a rigorous assessment of its application, the NCC also as part of its moves to spur competition in Nigeria’s Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite market granted licenses to Amazon’s Project Kuiper, which is set to launch this year, and others to compete with Elon Musk’s Starlink by offering, high-speed, wide-coverage broadband services in the country.
In a related regulatory measure, which indicated that the nation’s telecoms industry’s infrastructure assets are getting stronger to facilitate digital transactions, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in January this year upgraded the licenses of major fintech companies, namely OPay, Moniepoint, Kuda, PalmPay, and Paga as well as some Microfinance Banks (MFBs) to national status. This authorization allows them to operate across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
This even as the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, just confirmed on Wednesday that Nigeria secured its first major investments from European partners for the national fibre-optic rollout, Project BRIDGE, a key financing for the country’s plan to expand high-speed connectivity nationwide
The minister, who gave this hint after concluding a two-week investment tour across six European countries, said the Board of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) approved a $100 million investment in Project BRIDGE, one of the lender’s largest commitments to Nigeria’s digital infrastructure sector.
The approval came after the country had earlier secured $500 million from the World Bank Group for the project.
Tijani also disclosed that the European Union had signed a €45 million Digital Economy Package for Nigeria, adding that of this, €22 million (approximately $26 million) is a grant for Project BRIDGE, while €18 million is earmarked to improve digital public services, and €5 million will support the government’s 3 Million Technical Talent Programme (3MTT) digital talent programme.
He enthused: “These approvals are deeply reassuring as we reflect on the hard work and air miles, across six countries in two weeks, to secure the partnerships required to deploy 90,000km of fibre across Nigeria.”
In concluding this news analysis, it is logical to say that available evidences clearly reflect that the NCC is intensifying its regulatory initiatives to improve the performance of the telecoms industry but also, through its open data strategy, creating the enabling environment for foreign and local investors to contribute to the current drive towards achieving the $1 trillion economy target for the country by 2030.
This strategy, as many experts have agreed, is commendable and should be sustained by the Dr. Aminu Maida-led management of the commission in the years ahead.
