The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has unveiled draft business rules to govern the operations of Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs).

The move is aimed at promoting fair competition, protecting consumers and expanding access to telecommunications services across the country.

Speaking at the Mobile Virtual Network Operator Business Rules Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum in Abuja on Thursday, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, said the framework was designed to provide regulatory certainty and ensure a transparent relationship between MVNOs and their host operators.

Maida, who was represented by the Commission’s Director of Licensing and Authorisation, Usman Mamman, said the rules would spell out the rights and responsibilities of both parties.

He explained that the framework addresses key issues such as licensing, onboarding processes, technical integration, interconnection, quality of service, revenue sharing, infrastructure access, consumer protection and dispute resolution.

“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,” Maida said.

He noted that the commission developed the draft after engaging operators and other industry stakeholders to understand implementation challenges since MVNO licences were introduced.

According to him, the framework seeks to eliminate uncertainties surrounding commercial negotiations, access to network resources and technical integration. It is also expected to ensure that all operators comply with established regulatory guidelines.

Presenting an overview of the framework, he said the NCC began considering the introduction of MVNOs in 2017 after commissioning studies on the readiness of Nigeria’s telecommunications market.

The findings confirmed that the sector had matured sufficiently to support the model. This eventually led to the introduction of a five-tier MVNO licensing framework in 2023.

Maida disclosed that the NCC has so far issued 46 MVNO licences across the five categories.

He, however, noted that experience since licensing revealed the need for clearer operational guidelines to govern the commercial and technical relationship between MVNOs and host network operators.

Earlier, the NCC’s Head of Legal and Regulatory Services, Chizua Whyte, said MVNOs have the potential to deepen competition by introducing innovative business models, serving niche markets and extending telecommunications services to unserved and underserved communities.

She explained that because MVNOs rely on the infrastructure of existing network operators, they can enter the market at lower cost. This, she said, would create more options for consumers without requiring additional network investments.

According to Whyte, the proposed rules would establish a balanced regulatory framework governing the relationship between MVNOs and MNOs. She added that the framework would provide certainty for investors and encourage sustainable growth in the sector.

Also speaking, President of the Association of Mobile Virtual Network Operators, Ken Nwabueze, described the consultation as timely, saying practical experience from operators already in the market should help shape the final framework.

Nwabueze, whose company launched Nigeria’s first operational MVNO in October 2025, identified revenue sharing and enforcement as the two major issues requiring regulatory attention.

“The two big elephants in the room are revenue sharing and enforcement. As we define these rules, the Association of Mobile Virtual Network Operators pleads with you to make enforcement a key part of it,” he said.

The proposed rules are expected to define how MVNOs, which provide mobile services by leasing network capacity from existing telecom operators
rather than building their own infrastructure, will operate alongside Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) such as MTN, Airtel, Globacom and 9mobile.