Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said it would rely on evidence-based assessments to promote fair competition and ensure smaller telecommunications operators are not pushed out of the market by bigger players.
The Executive Vice-Chairman of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, made this known on Wednesday in Lagos during the Second Stakeholder Engagement Forum on the Study of the Level of Competition in the Nigerian Telecommunications Industry.
Represented by the Head of Competition and Tariff Unit, Mrs Omotayo Mohammed, Maida said the study would provide the evidence needed for sound regulatory decisions and help identify barriers preventing effective competition.
He said, “The focus of the commission is therefore on ensuring that market power does not undermine effective competition.”
Maida explained that having Significant Market Power (SMP) does not automatically mean an operator is engaging in anti-competitive practices, noting that market dominance could result from sustained investment, innovation and commercial success.
He added that any regulatory intervention by the commission would be necessary, proportionate and aimed at preserving competition, encouraging investment, improving service quality and delivering better value to consumers.
According to him, the first stakeholder engagement held in January helped refine the study by allowing industry players to contribute ideas on competition issues and the proposed methodology.
He said the preliminary findings were based mainly on information and survey responses submitted by telecommunications licensees and other stakeholders, while acknowledging that gaps in available data would be considered before final conclusions are reached.
Maida stressed that competition assessment goes beyond market share and the number of operators, as it also examines barriers to entry, market concentration, access to essential infrastructure, consumer choice and market conduct.
He urged stakeholders to carefully review the preliminary findings, validate the evidence and support their observations with verifiable data and practical industry experience.
The NCC boss also disclosed that PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), which carried out the study, would present its findings before stakeholders made further contributions.
Speaking at the forum, Mohammed said competition remained essential for innovation, investment, sustainability and affordable telecommunications services across the country.
She said, “Competition drives innovation, investment, sustainability, consumer choice and affordable telecommunications services. Studies like this help us obtain the evidence needed to make appropriate regulatory decisions.”
Mohammed added that the commission was conducting similar studies on mobile termination rates and value-added services to strengthen future regulatory decisions under the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 and the Competition Practices Regulations 2007.
She reiterated that smaller operators were as important as larger companies, assuring stakeholders that the commission would continue to make balanced, evidence-based decisions that promote sustainable industry growth and protect consumers.
