Telecom
NCC, Stakeholders Dialogue on Best Spectrum Auction Model
Players in the telecommunications industry have tabled their positions hoping to influence the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) in the sale frequencies in the 2.6GHz Spectrum.
Arguments swung left and right but majorly for the maintenance of the present pattern of national licensing.
Another handful called for a regional licensing approach that will create room for more players and improved deployment phase.
Speaking at the Forum, Engineer Peter Igoh, chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission said that, the transparent way in which the Commission had conduct its licensing processes, including auctions, have been globally recognized.
He said, the Forum was part of NCC’s consultative disposition in which it strive to ensure inclusiveness in its decision-making processes, fairness and openness in dealings, and predictability in the nation’s telecom regulatory atmosphere.
On his part, Engineer Austin Nwaulune, director, Spectrum Administration at NCC, also said that the Commission has 2 x 70 MHz Slot in the 2.6GHz Band up for sale.
He said they were determined to put it up for the most qualified organizations to utilize them for the benefit of the nation.
Listing issues involved in the process such as the possibility of introducing spectrum caps, licensing options, tenures, roll out obligations and some key issues that the Commission’s auction committee may have put up for consideration, Nwaulune said the Commission’s transparent disposition in the ways and manners in which the auction will be conducted is not negotiable.
Engineer Lanre Ajayi, president, Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), applauded the sense of seeking stakeholders’ views on the process but sought to know why close to 30 companies expressed interest during the sale of 2.3GHz band earlier in the year, but only two went ahead to bid.
He urged NCC to review the process, create changes for business viability.
According to him, most organizations might become skeptical about the bidding should NCC fail to declare its intentions on time, citing the sale of 2.6GHz few months after the 2.3GHz as unpalatable for ventures.
On the Modalities licencing model, Ajayi said he believes in Spectrum Trading, where a company with either a National or a Regional Licence can have the leverage of selling the same to another company without been queried by the NCC.
Nwaulune swiftly explained that spectrum trading might be unfavourable for the industry, as some companies could arm-twist others to get the licence, whereas the end-users bear the blunt.
But, Engineer Bayo Banjo, president, Nigeria Internet Group (NIG), has a different view, saying that the industry should learn from past experience that allocation of licences on National bases has not alleviated the broadband penetration challenges.
According to him, National frequency allocation has caused more harms than good, creating hiccups for organizations during deployment and recouping of investments hard to attain.
He opined that such practice can become viable if the bidders and eventual winners are meant to sign agreement to cover the 36 States and the FCT, and no redundancy in spectrum utilization in any of the States.
Nodding in agreement, Chidi Ibisi, chief marketing officer, Broadbased Communications, said that Regionalization of the licencing is the way forward, hence it will boost chances of local companies participation and help in building Companies, which has been the primary focus of Dr. (Mrs) Omobola Johnson, led Ministry of Communication Technology.
On his part, Mr. Aremu Olajide, head of Network Operations, Globacom, said that NCC should work towards ensuring that organizations with pedigree in spectrum administration are given opportunity to manage the scarce resources for the best interest of the nation’s broadband availability and affordability plans.
He urged NCC not to depart from the objectives of these programmes centered on deepening competition and improve broadband penetration in the Country.
Meanwhile, Igoh said that the Commission has commenced the processes for the selection of Infrastructure Companies for Lagos and North Central Region in line with the Open Access Model that was launched in 2014.
In due course, qualified companies will be selected in that process to give impetus to the drive to achieve robust deployment and service provisioning for broadband services across the country.
Nigeria has exactly 156,662 active fixed wired internet subscriptions as of mid-2026.
This is a tiny fraction compared to mobile GSM networks, which dominate the market with over 154 million subscribers.
The fixed wired market primarily consists of homes and offices using direct physical cables like fiber optics.
Fixed wired services use physical cables, like glass fiber or copper wire, to bring internet directly into a building.
It is like a dedicated, private water pipe for your home. It provides very fast speeds, unlimited data, and is reliable.
In contrast, mobile GSM uses radio waves transmitted from tall towers to phones, acting more like a sprinkler that sprays a signal across an entire neighborhood.
Because laying physical cables across cities is expensive and hard to do, these subscriptions are very rare.
However, the market has seen recent growth, driven largely by Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) services.
The top players are: MTN FibreX with 110,564 subscribers, which is roughly 88.7 per cent of the entire market.
SWIFTNG accounts for about 13,945 connections.
The others are ipNX and 21st Century Technologies which make up the number.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that it was strengthening collaboration with state governments and industry players to develop a transparent, cost-based pricing framework for sharing telecom ducts as part of efforts to speed up broadband expansion across Nigeria.
Ayuba Shuaibu, director of Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis, NCC, disclosed this at the Stakeholders’ Forum in Abuja.
Shuaibu said the initiative was designed to build consensus among all parties.
“The primary purpose of this forum is to ensure seamless synergy between the Commission and all stakeholders,” he said.
The director said the consultation was prompted by longstanding complaints over permits, levies and other charges imposed by different levels of government.
He said bringing together state commissioners, telecom operators, tower companies and representatives of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum had helped improve understanding of the issues.
“This engagement is a work in progress. We expect more input from stakeholders before presenting the outcome to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum,” he added.
Dr Helen Adeneye, commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Kogi State. welcomed the consultation, saying Nigeria needs a harmonised policy that clearly defines the responsibilities of both the federal and state governments.
“We need a harmonised policy that allows states to collaborate better with telecom operators and creates a more business-friendly environment,” she said.
Dr Adeneye added that adopting the Dig-Once policy would establish a uniform pricing system and help resolve disputes over charges for telecom infrastructure deployment.
Chidi Ajuzie, chief executive officer, WTES Projects Limited, whose firm is conducting the consultancy study, said the proposed framework would introduce a common cost structure for duct sharing to support broadband investment and economic growth.
“The study is designed to create a uniform pricing model that will drive broadband growth, economic development and wider adoption across the country,” he said.
Ajuzie explained that the consultants had developed preliminary floor and ceiling prices to guide operators while allowing flexibility within the approved range.
He added that the recommendations remain open to industry input before the NCC finalises the framework.
The Dig-Once Policy is designed to reduce the cost and disruption of deploying broadband infrastructure by requiring fibre ducts to be installed whenever roads are constructed or rehabilitated.
The NCC is developing a cost-based pricing framework for sharing these ducts to promote fair pricing, reduce duplication of infrastructure and encourage investment.
The proposed model is expected to support the Federal Government’s broadband expansion targets while improving collaboration between telecom operators and state governments.
Telecom
MUSON Graduates Shine at 2026 Concert as MTN Foundation Celebrates 20 Years of Music Scholarships
Emeka Nwodike, acting director of the MUSON School of Music, conducted the institution’s graduating class in a grand finale performance, bringing the 2026 graduation concert to a memorable close. The concert took place on July 7 at the Shell Hall of the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos.
The event celebrated students who successfully completed the MUSON Diploma Programme through the MTN Foundation Scholarship Programme.
The graduating students delivered a rich choral repertoire that reflected the breadth of their musical training, performing Italian Salad by Richard Genee, My Song by Eriks Esenvalds, Obi Dimkpa by Laz Ekwueme, and an ABBA Medley arranged by Goran Bejstam. Under the Acting Director’s baton, the choir demonstrated technical precision, vocal maturity and artistic expression before an audience of family members, music enthusiasts and industry stakeholders.
The concert formed part of the long-running partnership between the MTN Foundation and the Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON), which has, since 2006, provided scholarships for hundreds of talented young Nigerians to receive formal music education through the MUSON Diploma School. The programme continues to serve as one of the country’s foremost platforms for developing professional musicians and strengthening Nigeria’s creative economy.
Speaking at the close of the concert, Nwodike expressed appreciation to the MTN Foundation for its sustained support of the scholarship programme over the past two decades. He also thanked the Director of the MUSON Centre, faculty members, mentors and other stakeholders whose dedication has contributed to the school’s continued success.
“For nearly 20 years, the MTN Foundation has remained a steadfast partner in our mission to nurture young musical talent. We are deeply grateful for that commitment. I also want to thank the Director of the MUSON Centre, our faculty, mentors and everyone whose dedication has helped the MUSON School of Music continue to grow and thrive. Their support has made this programme what it is today, and our graduates are a testament to that collective effort,” he said.
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