The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has launched a bold new licensing regime designed to fast-track innovation, support emerging technologies, and widen access to digital services across the country.
The initiative, known as the General Authorisation Framework, was officially introduced by the NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman, Dr. Aminu Maida, during a stakeholders’ engagement forum held on Thursday.
He described the framework as a significant departure from conventional regulatory approaches, tailored to accommodate technological innovation and services not currently covered by Nigeria’s existing licensing categories.
“This reform introduces a flexible and responsive regulatory licensing approach,” Maida said.
“It is structured to embrace new and emerging services that fall outside the existing license structure.”
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At the heart of the framework are three regulatory instruments: Proof-of-Concept (PoC) Pilots, a Regulatory Sandbox, and an Interim Service Authorisation. According to Maida, these mechanisms are meant to support experimentation while managing risk and maintaining public trust.
“This model creates a platform for innovators of various sizes to demonstrate feasibility, assess risk, and measure outcomes before deployment,” he noted.
He emphasized that innovation must be matched by collaboration and called on all key industry players—including mobile network operators, service providers, infrastructure firms, OEMs, startups, civil society organizations, and academia—to participate actively in refining the framework.
“Collaboration is crucial to its success,” Maida said, urging stakeholders to offer feedback and co-develop the new system through partnerships.
Also speaking at the event, Mr. Usman Mamman, Director of Licensing and Authorization at the NCC, pointed out that the global pace of digital innovation has exposed the limitations of Nigeria’s current licensing system.
“The rapid evolution of the global digital ecosystem has directly challenged the subsisting license framework,” Mamman said.
“The Commission continues to witness the emergence of new technologies, novel business models, and innovative services, many of which do not fit neatly into its traditional licensing structures.”
Mamman said the need to modernize the Commission’s regulatory toolkit became increasingly urgent as more service applications and pilot proposals emerged that could not be accommodated under existing frameworks.
“Recognizing this shift, the Commission deemed it necessary to critically re-evaluate and retool our regulatory toolkit,” he stated.
He explained that the new framework is the result of a comprehensive review process involving internal research, cross-departmental collaboration, and benchmarking against global best practices.
“One of the key outcomes of this review is the development of the draft General Authorisation Framework (GAF), a flexible, forward-looking approach to licensing that promotes innovation while ensuring regulatory oversight, consumer protection, and market integrity,” Mamman said.
“The Commission carried out an internal review of recent service applications, inquiries, and pilot proposals that are not covered in the scope of current licence categories and found a growing need for a flexible and well-structured pathway to test new and emerging ideas,” he added.
According to him, the new approach is aligned with several key national policies, including the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, the National Broadband Plan, and the overarching objectives of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003.