The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has reaffirmed its commitment to creating a transparent, predictable and competitive regulatory framework for Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) as it commenced a public inquiry into the draft MVNO Business Rules aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s emerging virtual network ecosystem.
Speaking at the MVNO Business Rules Stakeholders’ Consultative Forum in Abuja, the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, represented by the Director of Licensing and Authorisation, Mr Usman Mamman, said the draft rules were designed to provide operational clarity for MVNOs and their host Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), while protecting consumers’ interests and promoting market integrity.
Maida said the development of the business rules formed part of the Commission’s broader commitment to deepening competition, expanding access to telecommunications services and driving innovation in line with Nigeria’s digital inclusion agenda.
“The MVNO Business Rules are designed to provide clarity on licensing, operational responsibilities and relationships with host network operators, while safeguarding consumer interests and market integrity.”
He stressed that the Commission remained committed to providing effective regulatory oversight that is transparent, predictable and fair to all market participants, while ensuring compliance with established regulatory guidelines.
According to him, the success of the MVNO model will depend on strong collaboration among operators, regulators and other stakeholders.
“The Commission remains resolute in providing the leadership required to build a dynamic, inclusive and future-ready communications sector. This engagement reflects one of the Commission’s core regulatory principles of consultation, transparency and stakeholder participation in the development of regulatory instruments that shape our industry.”
Maida noted that since the issuance of MVNO licences, the Commission had continued to engage operators to better understand operational realities, implementation challenges and areas requiring additional regulatory clarity.
He explained that the draft Business Rules seek to establish a practical operational framework governing the relationship between MVNOs and host MNOs by clearly defining their respective rights, obligations and responsibilities.
He urged stakeholders to actively participate in the consultation process by sharing practical experiences, recommendations and concerns to strengthen the final regulatory framework before its adoption.
Providing an overview of the framework, the Director of Licensing and Authorisation, Mr Usman Mamman, traced the evolution of the MVNO initiative to 2017, when the Commission initiated a Request for Proposal to assess the readiness of Nigeria’s telecommunications market for virtual network operators.
He said the assessment confirmed that the country’s telecommunications industry had attained sufficient maturity to support MVNO operations, leading to years of stakeholder consultations, technical studies and regulatory evaluations before the licensing framework was introduced.
Mamman explained that the MVNO licensing framework comprises five licence categories, each valid for five years, to accommodate different business models and operational capabilities.
According to him, the framework enables qualified operators to provide mobile communication services using the infrastructure of existing mobile network operators without owning radio spectrum or deploying nationwide radio access networks.
“This approach promotes more efficient utilisation of existing infrastructure, lowers barriers to market entry, encourages service innovation and expands investment opportunities.”
Earlier, the NCC’s Head of Legal and Regulatory Services, Mrs Chiza Whyte, said the emergence of MVNOs presents significant opportunities to deepen competition, stimulate innovation, promote service differentiation and expand consumer choice within Nigeria’s communications sector.
She explained that by leveraging existing telecommunications infrastructure, MVNOs could introduce new business models, serve niche market segments and extend communications services to underserved and unserved communities.
According to Whyte, the draft Business Rules are intended to establish a transparent, balanced and predictable regulatory framework governing the relationship between MVNOs and MNOs.
She noted that the framework clearly defines the rights, obligations, operational responsibilities and commercial expectations of all parties, thereby promoting regulatory certainty, fair competition and effective collaboration across the telecommunications value chain.
Beyond operational guidance, she said the rules are expected to encourage investment, stimulate network service innovation, support market expansion and drive sustainable industry growth.
“A well-structured MVNO ecosystem has the potential to unlock new economic opportunities, encourage efficient utilisation of existing infrastructure, create employment and enhance the overall competitiveness of the Nigerian communications sector.”
Whyte described the public inquiry as a critical component of the Commission’s consultative rule-making process, emphasising that stakeholder participation would help ensure the final regulations are practical, responsive to market realities and aligned with international best practice.
Speaking on behalf of industry operators, President of the Association of Mobile Virtual Network Operators (AMVNO), Mr Ken Nwabueze, commended the Commission for initiating the consultation but urged it to place greater emphasis on enforcement and revenue-sharing arrangements.
Nwabueze, whose company, VITA, became Nigeria’s first operational MVNO after launching in October 2025, said the industry’s experience had revealed practical implementation challenges that could help refine the regulatory framework.
“As the first MVNO to launch in Nigeria, I can tell you that the journey has not been easy. Everything up until now has been theory, but we now have real operational data to share with the Commission.”
He identified revenue-sharing between MVNOs and host operators as one of the major issues requiring further regulatory consideration, urging the Commission to evaluate whether a revenue-sharing or hybrid model would best support sustainable industry growth.
Nwabueze also stressed that enforcement must become a central pillar of the final Business Rules.
“We obey traffic laws because there is enforcement. When there is enforcement, people obey the rules. When there is no enforcement, people will not obey the rules.”
He described MNOs and MVNOs as partners in advancing Nigeria’s digital economy and telecommunications industry, expressing confidence that the consultative process would produce regulations capable of attracting greater investment, fostering innovation and creating more employment opportunities for Nigerians.
