We Strike The Right Balance In Protecting Consumers And Rewarding Efficiency
OpenLife Nigeria reports that telecom sector regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that the telecom market has evolved significantly over the past years, necessitating the right balance for open market sustainability.
This was the highlight of the opening remarks by Mrs Omotayo Mohammed, NCC Head, Competition and Tariff, at the Stakeholders’ Forum on the Study on the Level of Competition in the Nigerian Telecom Industry held at Ikeja Sheraton Hotel, Lagos on Tuesday.
According to her, revenue models have shifted, investment patterns have changed, and new forms of market interaction have emerged. “We are witnessing rapid technological change, evolving consumer expectations and usage patterns, rising investment costs, and heightened competitive pressures.
Concurrently, concerns around barriers to entry, market concentration, sustainability of smaller players, and quality of service continue to warrant careful consideration. These dynamics highlight the importance of continuous validation of competition policy assumptions against current market evidence,” she said.
She underscored the need for commitment to a sector that has become the backbone of the nation’s digital economy, contributing about 9.1per cent to national GDP as at Q3 2025. “The telecommunications sector serves as a critical enabler of growth, inclusion, innovation and service delivery across all sectors of the economy,” Mrs Mohammed said.
According to her, competition is the engine that drives innovation, affordability, and consumer choice.
“But competition must also be fair, effective, and sustainable.
“Our task as a regulator is to strike the right balance, one that protects consumers, rewards efficiency and investment, and keeps the market open to new ideas and new entrants.
“The last comprehensive, industry-wide competition study undertaken by the Commission was concluded in 2013. A few targeted, bespoke studies have since been conducted across specific services and market segments such as Mobile Voice Termination Rate 2018 and Mobile Voice International Termination Rate 2022.
“However, developments in technology, market structure, and consumer behavior now necessitate a holistic reassessment of competition across the telecommunications value chain,” she said.
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