The Nigerian government on Friday announced a temporary suspension of issuance of communication licences for Interconnect Exchange Licence, Mobile Virtual Network Operator Licence, and Value Added Service Aggregator Licence.
Giving reasons for the regulatory action, the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) said the temporary suspension became necessary to enable it to “conduct a thorough review of several key areas within these categories, including the current level of competition, market saturation and current market dynamics.”
In a public notice issued on Friday and titled: “Temporary Suspension of the Issuance of Communications Licences in Three (3) Categories,” which was signed by NCC Director, Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka, the Commission maintained that the suspension was “in line with its powers under the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003 to grant and renew licences, promote fair competition and develop the Communications Industry.”
“The public is invited to note that during the suspension period commencing on 17th of May, 2024, new application for the aforementioned licences will not be accepted. This is without prejudice to pending applications before the Commission which will be considered on their merits,” Muoka stated.
He advised industry stakeholders to seek further clarification on the new policy from the Licence unit of the NCC.
