NCC, African Regulators Push Stronger Collaboration for Smarter Digital Governance

NCC, African Regulators Push Stronger Collaboration for Smarter Digital Governance

Abuja, July 23, 2026 — The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has called for stronger collaboration among African telecommunications and communications regulators to enhance the use of data, evidence, and market intelligence in shaping more effective, responsive, and future-ready regulatory frameworks across the continent.

Speaking at the Heads of Regulators Roundtable during the African Telecommunications Union (ATU) Conference of Plenipotentiaries (CPL-26) in Abuja, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, said communications regulation has become increasingly critical to Africa's economic growth, digital transformation, and national development.

Dr. Maida observed that although regulatory authorities operate within different legal and market environments, they face many common challenges, including infrastructure development, cybersecurity, affordability of services, satellite communications, network resilience, and the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence technologies.

He noted that interactions among regulators often reveal shared experiences and practical lessons that can help address complex policy and regulatory issues more effectively. According to him, there is a need to institutionalise such knowledge-sharing to ensure it becomes more deliberate, systematic, and beneficial to regulatory institutions across Africa.

«"Very often, the challenge one regulator is trying to solve has already been encountered, in one form or another, by a colleague elsewhere on the continent," Dr. Maida said.»

Describing the theme of the roundtable, "Building Africa's Network Intelligence Ecosystem for Evidence-Based Regulation," as both timely and relevant, he said it provides an opportunity for regulators to explore how improved use of data, evidence, and market intelligence can strengthen regulatory decision-making while fostering more structured collaboration among African regulatory bodies.

"It gives us an opportunity to consider how better use of data, evidence and market intelligence can strengthen regulatory decisions, and how African regulators can learn more systematically from one another," he added.

Chairing the roundtable, the NCC's Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management, Mrs. Rimini Makama, noted that rapid developments in broadband expansion, satellite services, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and digital public infrastructure are making Africa's communications ecosystem increasingly complex.

She stressed that these developments require regulators to move beyond traditional regulatory approaches and adopt more intelligent, data-driven frameworks capable of responding to emerging technologies and market realities.

According to Mrs. Makama, while regulators across Africa now have access to growing volumes of technical, market, and consumer data, the greater challenge lies in transforming that information into actionable intelligence that supports sound policy decisions, protects consumers, and promotes sustainable industry growth.

The Heads of Regulators Roundtable forms part of ongoing efforts by African communications regulators to strengthen evidence-based regulation, deepen regional cooperation, and build more resilient, innovative, and consumer-focused communications ecosystems across the continent.