…Seeks Stakeholders’ Inputs To Draft Document
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Thursday unveiled its Draft General Authorisation Framework, a flexible licensing regime aimed at accommodating emerging technologies and novel service models that currently are not captured in Nigeria’s existing telecom licensing regime structures.
Specifically, the General Authorisation Framework introduces three strategic regulatory pathways, namely Proof-of-Concept (PoC) Pilots – to allow innovators test the viability of new technologies in real-world conditions; Regulatory Sandbox – a controlled environment for supervised testing of breakthrough services, such as Open RAN deployments, AI-powered smart networks, and dynamic spectrum sharing; and Interim Service Authorisation (ISA) – a temporary permit for emerging services pending full categorization under a licensing regime.
Speaking at a high-level stakeholders’ forum organized in Lagos to enlighten the public on the new Authorisation Framework, the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, said that the new initiative of the commission was intended to promote innovation consumer interest and ensure the integrity of the telecoms market.
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In his keynote address at the event, Maida maintained that modern regulation must be designed to enable, not hinder, innovation”, stressing that the General Authorisation Framework will allow NCC to embrace the future with confidence while protecting consumer interests and ensuring market integrity.
According to the EVC, the framework aligns with the Commission’s core mandate of fostering a thriving digital ecosystem, while supporting national policy goals such as the National Broadband Plan, the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, and the NCA 2003.
Maida said: “We are at a turning point. Innovation in areas like 5G, blockchain, AI, and fintech is transforming how we live and work. Our regulatory model must now be agile enough to embrace these innovations while safeguarding users and the economy.”
While noting that the latest regulatory measure has positioned the sector as a key enabler of innovation and national development, the industry expert, however, stressed that to sustain this momentum, regulation must keep pace with disruptive changes reshaping finance, education, commerce, and governance.
The EVC expatiated: “This isn’t just about policy. It’s about building a resilient innovation value chain, nurturing homegrown solutions, and unlocking economic opportunities for startups and communities across Nigeria.”
To achieve the goal of the initiative, he charged all stakeholders in the telecoms sector to work together to deepen innovation, expand access, and ensure that the dividends of digital transformation are felt nationwide.
Giving deeper insight into the rationale for the initiative during his presentation, the NCC’s Director of Licensing and Authorisation Usman Mamman, explained that the framework emerged from extensive internal reviews, cross-departmental collaboration, and benchmarking with global regulatory bodies.
He said: We studied models like Ofcom’s Sandbox in the UK and IMDA’s testbeds in Singapore,” he noted. “We realised the growing volume of service applications and innovations that don’t neatly fit into our traditional licence categories. This framework provides a structured and safe path to support these ideas.”
The Director maintained that the mechanisms introduced through the new framework were time-bound, transparent, and data-driven, thereby enabling the Commission to learn, adapt, and create permanent licence pathways that reflect evolving realities.
Mamman pointed out that the stakeholders’ engagement forum was just the beginning of a broader engagement and welcomed participants’ ideas on structure, implementation, and opportunities for alignment with their business models.
He encouraged the participants from telcos, tech hubs, civil society, academia, and OEMs to submit written feedback and engage in subsequent review sessions that will shape the final implementation.
Industry experts believe that the General Authorisation Framework will help to catalyze a new wave of activity in Nigeria’s digital innovation space by creating an enabling environment where creativity thrives without compromising regulatory objectives.
