Business
From Hurdles to Growth: Inside the NCC’s Push for a Connected Nigeria
BY NKECHI NAECHE-ESEZOBOR—When Dr. Aminu Maida took the helm at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in October 2023, he stepped into a challenging landscape marked by soaring operational costs and stubborn infrastructure gaps.
Yet, over the past few years, the commission has successfully turned these hurdles into stepping stones, steering Nigeria’s telecommunications sector toward a new era of steady growth and digital inclusion.
At the heart of the NCC’s recent success is a massive push to bring reliable phone and internet access to everyday Nigerians, especially those in rural and underserved communities.
By 2025, these deliberate efforts pushed the country’s internet broadband penetration rate to an impressive 48.81 percent, while teledensity—the percentage of the population with telephone connections—reached 79.65 percent.
Industry experts note that this rapid expansion didn’t happen by accident; it is the direct result of the regulatory stability and clear, reliable policy direction the NCC has established.Beyond simply expanding networks, the commission has taken aggressive steps to protect them.
In a major victory for the industry, the NCC actively championed a Presidential Executive Order that officially designates telecom facilities as Critical National Infrastructure.
This critical legal shield gives the government the teeth to fight back against the theft, vandalism, and sabotage that have long plagued network operators, disrupted daily services, and driven up business expenses.
Financially, the NCC has proven to be a vital engine for the nation’s economy. In the 2024 fiscal year alone, the commission generated roughly N195.8 billion through spectrum fees, operating licenses, and other regulatory revenues.
Proving its commitment to national development, the NCC sent more than N111 billion of those earnings straight into the Federal Government’s Consolidated Revenue Fund.
Looking toward the future, the NCC is also reshaping how technology businesses operate in Nigeria. The commission has introduced discussions for a fresh General Authorisation Framework alongside updated licensing systems. This modern approach is designed to cut through red tape for tech startups, welcome innovative business models, and make it much easier to deploy next-generation digital tools.
Ultimately, the NCC has managed a delicate balancing act. Even while navigating tough economic pressures like inflation and rising business expenses, the commission has successfully maintained investor confidence through open, transparent communication with network operators.
At the same time, it has kept its focus squarely on everyday citizens by strictly monitoring service quality and creating tools that help ordinary phone subscribers check network performance, ensuring that Nigeria’s digital future remains both strong and consumer-friendly.
The post From Hurdles to Growth: Inside the NCC’s Push for a Connected Nigeria appeared first on Business Today NG.
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has reduced its gantry price for aviation turbine kerosene (ATK), commonly known as jet fuel, to N1,450 per litre.
A source at the refinery confirmed the development on Friday, saying the price was reduced from N1,550 per litre to N1,450 per litre.
According to the source, the adjustment took effect on Tuesday.
The latest reduction comes less than two weeks after the refinery lowered the ex-depot price of premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, by N75 per litre.
In a circular to oil marketers, the refinery said the petrol price adjustment, which took effect on 16 June, followed developments in the international energy market.
READ ALSO; Dangote refinery raises processing capacity to 700,000 barrels per day
PETROAN calls for price review
Following the decline in global crude oil prices, the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) called on refiners, depot owners and fuel importers to reflect the changes in their ex-depot and retail prices.
The association said lower crude oil prices provide an opportunity for operators in the downstream petroleum sector to reduce prices and provide relief for consumers.
Jet fuel remains one of the major operating costs for airlines, making changes in its price closely watched by operators in the aviation sector.
The Federal Government has intensified efforts to improve revenue collection and reduce leakages by engaging commercial banks to implement the Revenue Optimisation Assurance Platform (RevOp), a digital system designed to enhance transparency and accountability in public finance management.
The initiative was the focus of a sensitisation workshop organised by the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) in Abuja on Friday.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, represented by the Permanent Secretary for Special Duties, Mohammed Danjuma, said the platform was introduced to modernise government revenue administration and address longstanding inefficiencies associated with manual processes.
According to him, RevOp provides a centralised digital platform that enables government agencies to generate bills, collect payments, monitor transactions, and report revenue in real time.
“RevOp serves as a critical tool in the government’s drive to improve revenue administration, reduce leakages and enhance public sector accountability,” he said.
Mr Oyedele said the government remains committed to deploying technology-driven solutions to strengthen revenue generation and improve financial management across public institutions.
He noted that while the platform has recorded progress since its introduction, implementation challenges persist, particularly among some banking personnel responsible for processing payments.
According to him, inadequate understanding of the platform’s processes by frontline banking staff has affected customer experience and transaction efficiency.
“These challenges, though operational in nature, have significant impacts on the overall customer experience and effectiveness of the initiative. This is precisely why we are here today,” he added.
The minister stressed that commercial banks play a critical role in ensuring the initiative’s success, adding that their responsibilities extend beyond collecting payments to supporting efficient revenue administration.
He urged financial institutions to ensure that knowledge gained from the workshop reaches branch managers, customer service officers and tellers who interact directly with members of the public.
Over 70 per cent of agencies are onboarded
Also speaking, the Director of Revenue and Investment at the OAGF, Adebayo Adewale, disclosed that more than 70 per cent of federal government-owned entities have already been integrated into the platform.
He explained that RevOp was developed as a government-owned solution to eliminate operational silos and streamline revenue collection across ministries, departments and agencies.
According to him, the platform works through existing licensed payment service providers and commercial banks nationwide.
“People will be presenting RevOp-generated bills to commercial banks for payment, and we expect prompt collection,” he said.
The Product Manager of RevOp, Idris Dosunmu, said the platform integrates billing, payment, and settlement processes into a single framework, ensuring greater transparency from bill generation to final remittance.
“This will ensure that every penny due to the federal government goes into government coffers,” he noted.
The Revenue Optimisation Assurance Platform forms part of the Federal Government’s broader public finance reform programme aimed at improving accountability, boosting non-oil revenue and strengthening oversight of public funds.
READ ALSO: Standard Bank targets $15.4bn expansion in Nigeria, African SME markets
Approved by the Federal Executive Council, the platform enables real-time monitoring and reconciliation of government revenues while integrating with other digital financial management systems.
Earlier this month, government officials disclosed that 31 ministries, departments and agencies had already been onboarded onto the platform, with plans to expand coverage across the public sector.
Authorities say the initiative is expected to help curb fraud, improve revenue tracking and strengthen confidence in government financial management systems as Nigeria seeks to increase domestic revenue mobilisation.
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