The Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Aminu Maida has highlighted the need for telecommunications regulators across Africa to establish a more intentional, systematic, and beneficial exchange of experiences for their organizations.
Maida made this call on Tuesday during the Head of Regulators Roundtable, themed ‘Building Africa’s Network Intelligence Ecosystem for Evidence-Based Regulation,’ which is part of the ongoing 7th Ordinary Session of the Conference Preparatory Committee (CPC-26) in Abuja.
The EVC highlighted that communications have become pivotal to the economies of nations globally for various reasons, noting that the challenges faced by regulatory bodies are indeed complex.
“We may oversee markets of varying sizes, function under distinct legal frameworks, and address different national priorities. However, the realities of our responsibilities are often strikingly similar. In fact, discussions among regulators seldom remain casual for an extended period,” he remarked.
“When someone inquires about the situation back home, within five minutes, we find ourselves discussing investment, infrastructure resilience, satellite services, cybersecurity, affordability, artificial intelligence, or the latest technology that has emerged just in time to challenge the regulatory framework we believed was finally established.
“This shared experience is one of the key reasons why gatherings like this hold such significance. Frequently, the challenges faced by one regulator have already been encountered in some form by a peer elsewhere on the continent.
“Thus, the real question is how we can make this exchange of experiences more intentional, systematic, and advantageous for our institutions.
He stated that the Head of Regulators Roundtable offers a platform to explore how improved utilization of data, evidence, and market intelligence can enhance regulatory decisions, as well as how African regulators can systematically learn from each other.
“I hope this will encourage an open and practical dialogue among us. We should feel empowered to discuss what has been effective, what has not met expectations, and where collaboration might assist us in avoiding the repetitive resolution of similar issues in isolation.”
Additionally, Rimini Makama, the Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management at the NCC, stated that the Head of Regulators Roundtable emphasizes the use of data and evidence to make decisions that are more intelligent, transparent, and consumer-focused, noting that the markets have become increasingly complex.
“Broadband is expanding, satellite services are emerging, and technologies such as AI, cloud computing, and digital public infrastructure are transforming our sector. The previous regulatory frameworks were designed for a simpler era and are no longer sufficient,” she remarked.
“To proactively address issues rather than merely responding to them, we require reliable intelligence. So, why are we gathered here today? Regulators across Africa now possess more data than ever before, including technical, market, and consumer data.
“The challenge lies not in data collection but in converting it into improved decision-making. As our digital markets become more interconnected, we face shared challenges: protecting consumers, fostering competition, attracting investment, and ensuring the resilience of our networks.
“Today, we have the opportunity to accomplish three objectives: share what has proven effective in practice for the NCC, identify common challenges, and explore avenues for collaboration among ATU member states.
“It consolidates various data sources into a single location, ensuring that our decisions are based on evidence, quality of service, quality of experience data, consumer complaints, compliance analytics, and market intelligence.”
(Ripples)