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The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has commenced consultative engagements with critical stakeholders to open up new spectrum bands to boost Nigeria’s digital economy.
The NCC’s engagements/presentations are on the development of the Spectrum Roadmap 2026–2030, the guidelines for opening the lower 6 gigahertz (GHz) band for Wi-Fi 6, and the guidelines for opening the 60 GHz license-exempt band for multi-gigabit wireless systems.
According to the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, the demands for spectrum is not only rising in the telecom industry, its availability had become imperative for Nigeria’s accelerated growth and economic expansion.
Addressing participants yesterday at the opening ceremony of the Consultative Forum at the Digital Economy Complex, Mbora, Abuja, Dr Maida said the Forum would create avenues for robust deliberations that would shape Nigeria’s digital future. Dr Maida was represented by the Head of Spectrum Administration, Atiku Lawal on the occasion.
Dr Maida said the frameworks contained in the presentations reflected the commitment of the NCC towards building a communications ecosystem that is inclusive, innovative, resilient, and future-ready. He therefore encouraged participants and stakeholders to make critical inputs and contributions that would align with the vision of the present leadership for a robust economy.
He said: “At the heart of our sector lies an essential national resource: spectrum. Spectrum may be invisible, yet it is indispensable. It powers the connectivity behind our mobile phones, our broadband connections, our satellite services, emergency communications, financial platforms, and smart technologies.
“Behind every video call, every digital transaction, every online classroom, and every connected device in Nigeria, there is spectrum at work.
“But spectrum is also finite. Demand for it is rising rapidly, driven by data-intensive applications, cloud services, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and the expanding digital needs of our economy.
“These innovations require more spectrum, smarter planning, and more flexible regulatory approaches.”
The NCC boss said the Spectrum Roadmap 2026 to 2030 was developed to ensure faster speeds, wider coverage, better service quality, stronger innovation and greater inclusion, assuring that more investments would be attracted to the economy with the development.
He added that by opening the bands, the NCC was preparing the country “for the data demands of tomorrow—not just on mobile networks, but across homes, campuses, businesses, healthcare facilities, and public spaces.”
In his keynote, the Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, of the NCC, Abraham Oshadami, said the management of spectrum requires transparency, prudence, and collaboration.
“The way we plan, assign, and regulate spectrum will determine our nation’s ability to achieve our target, stimulate innovation, and strengthen global competitiveness,” Oshadami said.
Oshadami who was represented by Maigana Gidado, the Head of Fixed Networks and Converged Services at the NCC, noted that Nigeria would continue to make meaningful progress in mobile broadband penetration, 5G rollout, and improvement in quality of service following the new openings and opportunities in the telecommunications ecosystem.
