The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has commenced a review of the regulatory framework governing Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) as part of efforts to expand competition, improve consumer choice and strengthen Nigeria’s telecommunications ecosystem.
The NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Dr Aminu Maida, disclosed this at a one-day MVNO Business Rules Stakeholders Forum held in Abuja.
Represented by the Director of Licensing and Authorisation, Usman Mamman, Maida said the review was aimed at enhancing access, encouraging innovation and creating a more competitive telecom market.
He said the introduction of MVNOs reflected the commission’s commitment to deepening competition and advancing digital inclusion through a stronger telecommunications ecosystem.
“The MVNO business rules are designed to provide clarity on licensing, operational responsibilities and relationships with host network operators while safeguarding consumer interest and market integrity,” he said.
Maida added that the NCC would continue to enforce compliance with established guidelines to ensure operators operate within the approved regulatory framework.
The Head of Legal and Regulatory Services at the NCC, Chizua Whyte, said the commission developed the draft business rules to establish a clear operational framework for MVNOs in Nigeria.
She noted that the growth of MVNOs presented a major opportunity to increase competition, encourage innovation and give consumers more service options.
“The emergence of MVNOs presents a significant opportunity to deepen competition, stimulate innovation, promote self-differentiation and expand consumer choice within the sector,” Whyte said.
The Director of Licensing and Authorisation, Usman Mamman, explained that the introduction of MVNOs followed years of planning and consultations involving industry stakeholders.
He said the framework was designed to accommodate different business models and levels of technical capacity, allowing more players to participate in the telecommunications industry.
According to him, MVNOs enable qualified companies to provide mobile communication services by using the infrastructure of existing network operators without owning spectrum or building nationwide radio access networks.
Mamman disclosed that the NCC had so far issued 46 MVNO licences across different categories under the regulatory framework.
The President of the Association of Mobile Virtual Network Operators (AMNO), Ken Nwabueze, called on the NCC to address key concerns around revenue sharing and enforcement as part of the review process.
Nwabueze urged the commission to clearly define revenue-sharing arrangements between MVNOs and host network operators, stressing that effective enforcement would be critical to the success of the sector.
“One is the revenue sharing, whether it’s necessary or whether it’s the right way to go, or a hybrid of it, and how we define that rule. The second one is enforcement,” he said.
He added that AMNO expected enforcement to remain a central part of the revised rules to ensure fairness and stability in the MVNO market.
The NCC said the review would further position MVNOs as key drivers of competition, investment and digital inclusion in Nigeria’s telecommunications industry.
