The Nigerian Communications Commission has begun reviewing the business rules governing Mobile Virtual Network Operators, arguing the update will deepen competition and expand access across Nigeria’s telecom industry.
NCC Executive Vice Chairman Aminu Maida, represented by Director of Licensing and Authorisation Usman Mamman, told a one day MVNO Business Rules Stakeholders Forum in Abuja that the review reflects the commission’s broader commitment to deepening competition, expanding access and driving innovation in line with its focus on digital inclusion and a robust telecom ecosystem. The MVNO business rules are designed to provide clarity on licensing, operational responsibilities, and relationships with host network operators while safeguarding consumer interest and market integrity, he said, adding the commission expects full compliance and will continue enforcing established guidelines. Head of Legal and Regulatory Services Chizua Whyte said the commission developed the draft rules to give MVNOs a clear operating framework, arguing their emergence presents a significant opportunity to deepen competition, stimulate innovation, promote self differentiation, and expand consumer choice within the sector.
Mamman said introducing MVNOs into Nigeria’s telecom system followed a carefully planned, consultative process spanning several years, designed to accommodate diverse business models and varying levels of operational and technical capability, broadening participation across the sector. The framework enables qualified operators to provide mobile communication services by leveraging the infrastructure of existing mobile network operators, without the need to own dedicated radio spectrum or deploy nationwide radio access networks, he said, disclosing that 46 MVNO licences have been issued across the framework’s various tiers to date. Association of Mobile Virtual Network Operators President Ken Nwabueze urged the commission to address two outstanding issues as the rules take shape: revenue sharing, whether it is necessary or the right approach or some hybrid arrangement, and enforcement, which the association wants treated as a central part of the framework rather than an afterthought.
