NCC begins review of competition in Nigeria’s telecom industry

House of Representatives has issued arrest summons for chief executives of telecommunications companies after they failed to honour an invitation to appear before its committee investigating the quality of services in the sector.

The lawmakers took the decision yesterday after rejecting the chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Gbenga Adebayo, whom the companies sent to represent them.

The ad hoc committee, chaired by Olumide Osoba (APC-Ogun), directed that the chief executives and other top management officials of licensed operators appear before it on November 4, 2026.

However, rather than appear personally, the companies sent Adebayo, a move that angered lawmakers who insisted that the operators must answer individually to the House.

Moving the motion, Sunday Umeha argued that each company held a separate licence from the Federal Government and could not use its membership of an industry association to avoid the invitation.

He also criticised a letter from ALTON which, according to him, challenged the committee’s authority to compel the companies to appear.

Supporting the position, House spokesperson Rep. Akin Rotimi Jr. faulted ALTON’s decision to speak on behalf of the operators, arguing that subscribers dealt directly with individual telecommunications companies.

MEANWHILE, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has commenced a review of competition in the telecommunications industry to identify barriers to effective competition and determine appropriate regulatory measures to protect market conditions.

The Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, said the study would provide an evidence-based assessment of competition across relevant telecommunications markets.

Maida, who was represented by the Head of the Commission’s Competition and Tariff Department, Omotayo Mohammed, spoke at the second stakeholder forum on the study of the level of competition in the Nigerian telecommunications industry, where preliminary findings were presented for stakeholders’ review.

He said the assessment would consider market concentration, barriers to entry and expansion, control of essential infrastructure, market conduct, consumer choice and the identification of operators with Significant Market Power (SMP).

According to him, the study is intended to support the Commission in discharging its statutory responsibilities under the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 and the Competition Practices Regulations 2007.

Maida explained that the preliminary findings were largely based on responses to surveys and requests for information circulated to licensees and other relevant stakeholders.

He, however, noted that the reliability of the assessment would depend on the completeness, accuracy and consistency of the data collected, adding that limitations in the available information would be identified and findings interpreted with caution.