The Nigerian Commission Commission (NCC) has introduced a scanning license to accelerate digital innovation and unlock the country’s technological potential.
Unveiled Thursday by the Executive Vice-President of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, the new general authorization framework represents a fundamental department compared to traditional telecommunications license models, offering a more adaptive approach to adapt to emerging technologies and services.
Maida, while speaking during a stakeholder engagement forum in Abuja, said the framework had been designed to support experimentation, encourage investment in new technologies and guarantee the pace of Nigeria with global trends.
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“This reform presents a flexible and reactive regulatory license approach,” he said. “It is structured to adopt new and emerging services that do not fall under the existing license structure.”
Three -strict innovation model
At the heart of the new frame there are three key instruments:
- Concept proof pilots (POC): These pilots allow innovators to test new products or services in live environments, helping to determine the feasibility of the real world, technical performance and market viability before complete deployment.
- Regulatory sandbox: A controlled test space where startups, service providers and other industry players can control advanced technologies, such as open radio access networks (Open Ran), Dynamic Specter or EDGE computer sharing – under the supervision and regulatory advice of the CCN.
- Provisional service authorization: This provides temporary operational approval to new services which do not yet fall under the Nigeria’s existing license categories, ensuring that innovation is not stifled by obsolete regulatory bottlenecks.
Maida noted that the design is intended to reduce the barrier to the entrance for startups while simultaneously giving established players a way to test advanced ideas with regulatory support.
“It creates a platform for innovators of different sizes to demonstrate the feasibility, assess risks and measure the results before deployment,” he said.
Respond to global changes
The change of license occurs in the middle of a rapid development of the world digital ecosystem, where artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT) and the networking defined by software question the inherited regulatory structures.
USMAN MAMMAN, Director of the Licenses and Authorization for the CCN, stressed that the previous Nigeria license framework had struggled to keep the pace of technological change.
He explained that the Commission has witnessed the emergence of new technologies, new commercial models and innovative services, many of which do not adapt perfectly to its traditional license structures.
According to him, the general authorization framework has been drawn up after months of banning collaboration, analysis of international best practices and internal examination of service applications and proposals that could not be adapted to current license standards.
“Recognizing this change, the Commission deemed necessary to reassess and critically reassess our regulatory toolbox.
“One of the main results of this review is the development of the general authorization project (GAF), a flexible and prospective approach to the license which promotes innovation while guaranteeing regulatory monitoring, consumer protection and market integrity,” he said.
Mamman stressed that the new diet is closely aligned with the broader ambitions of the Nigeria digital economy. The framework supports key policies such as:
- Nigerian Data Protection Act 2023, which provides a legal basis for confidentiality and data innovation.
- The large -strip national plan, which aims to reach 70% high speed penetration by 2025.
- Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003, which obliges the NCC to promote fair competition, to protect consumer rights and to promote innovation in the sector.
The new license model aims to provide a solid basis for Nigeria’s ambitions to become a digital innovation center in Africa by ensuring regulatory monitoring, consumer protection and market integrity.
Maida clearly indicated that a successful implementation will depend on the collaboration. He called on mobile operators, infrastructure companies, equipment manufacturers, startups, university world and civil society to actively participate in the training.
The new executive should create room for services that involve artificial intelligence, immersive communication, spatial internet delivery (such as Starlink), Fintech layer telecommunications solutions and the deployment of native software in the Cloud – all areas where Nigerian startups and innovators have started to do notable strids.
With this movement, the CCN positions the regulatory environment of Nigeria as a catalyst rather than an obstacle to the next wave of digital transformation.
