NCC Demands Transparency in Crucial Telecom Competition Study

The Nigerian Communications Commission has called on industry stakeholders to engage transparently and provide accurate data as it embarks on a comprehensive study of competition in the country’s telecommunications sector. The call was made recently by the NCC’s Head of Competition and Tariff, Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis Department, Omotayo Mohammed, during the inaugural Stakeholders’ Forum on the study. The forum brought together chief executives, senior management of service providers, representatives of sister agencies, media, and consultants from PricewaterhouseCoopers. As part of the exercise, PwC will issue detailed questionnaires to operators to gather information across the market. While the NCC already holds much of this data, regulators and consultants insist that fresh submissions are crucial for transparency and credibility. The process will also involve interviews, and PwC has stressed that only senior personnel with first-hand knowledge of company operations should participate, rather than delegated representatives, to ensure that the insights collected accurately reflect the realities on the ground. “The robustness of the study’s outcomes will depend significantly on the quality of the data provided,” Mohammed told stakeholders at the forum. “Incomplete or delayed responses constrain analytical reliability and could affect the appropriateness of any regulatory measures that follow.” The research will provide a data-driven assessment of market dynamics, including market structure, pricing behaviour, barriers to entry, service quality, and consumer choice. The regulator emphasised that the exercise is diagnostic in nature and not intended to target specific operators. The study will assess both supply-side and demand-side dimensions of the telecom market. On the supply side, it will examine market concentration, access to essential infrastructure, competitive rivalry, and investment patterns. On the demand side, it will explore consumer usage patterns, affordability, switching behaviour, and the ability to make informed choices. Mohammed stressed that the findings of the study would guide evidence-based regulatory interventions, ensuring that competition remains fair, effective, and sustainable while promoting innovation and improved service delivery. Stakeholders were urged to actively participate in the data-gathering process, provide timely feedback, and engage collaboratively to ensure the study reflects the true state of the market. “The study is intended to strengthen regulatory certainty and safeguard the long-term vitality of the sector,” she said. “Achieving the objectives of this exercise is a collective responsibility that requires the concerted commitment of all participants.” Director of Strategy at PwC Network, Akolawole Odunlami, mentioned that the government’s role in the telecommunications sector goes beyond regulation. He said it should also invest in infrastructure and research and development to enable next-generation connectivity. Odunlami noted that many of the challenges facing Nigeria’s telecom industry are not unique to the country but are part of a global trend. “Telecom operators worldwide are rethinking their business models,” he said, adding that success is increasingly measured not just by the amount of data provided, but by how well operators integrate lifestyle services into their digital offerings.