NCC hires PwC to conduct a data-driven telecom competition study, aiming to boost fair competition and service quality in Nigeria

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has engaged consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to conduct an independent, data-driven study on competition within the nation’s telecommunications sector.

Also read: NCC Blames Urban Telecom Congestion on Heavy Usage

The initiative, announced during a Stakeholders’ Forum held at Ikeja Sheraton Hotel, comes 13 years after the last comprehensive market study and follows a 50 per cent tariff adjustment to mobile network operators last year.

Head of Competition and Tariff at NCC, Mrs Omotayo Mohammed, said the study aims to capture the evolving dynamics of Nigeria’s telecom market.

“Revenue models have shifted, investment patterns have changed, and new forms of market interaction have emerged,” she noted.

The exercise will examine both supply- and demand-side factors, including market concentration, pricing behaviour, barriers to entry, service quality, and consumer switching patterns.

The regulator emphasised that the study is diagnostic and not designed to target individual operators.

“Competition drives innovation, affordability, and consumer choice. Our task is to ensure fair and sustainable competition while protecting consumers and encouraging investment,” Mrs Mohammed said.

Akolawole Odunlami, Director of Strategy at PwC Network, outlined global telecom trends influencing the study.

He noted that while connectivity demand is growing in sub-Saharan Africa, operators face declining revenue per user, infrastructure gaps, and evolving digital consumer expectations.

“Today’s consumers expect experience-driven services powered by connectivity,” Odunlami said.

“Operators are integrating lifestyle services into their offerings, including fintech, health, and utility solutions, while the rollout of 5G and future 6G networks will reshape global telecom markets.”

The NCC study, according to Odunlami, will assess market structure, operator behaviour, pricing, and barriers to entry, providing evidence-based recommendations to foster innovation, service quality, and fair competition.

Stakeholders are urged to provide accurate and timely data, which is critical to the study’s success.

Also read: EFCC NCC Piracy Fight Deepens with Strong Warning

The findings will enable the NCC to strengthen regulatory oversight, support sustainable market leadership, and ensure consumers benefit from competitive, high-quality telecom services in Nigeria.