Maida pushes internal reforms as NCC battles skills gap, bureaucratic resistance

Despite being one of Nigeria’s best-funded regulatory agencies, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is grappling with internal operational challenges ranging from staff morale issues and delayed promotions to skills shortages in emerging technologies, findings have revealed.

Investigations indicate that while the Commission has maintained its position as the country’s telecommunications regulator, internal bottlenecks have continued to affect employee motivation and the agency’s ability to respond swiftly to the rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Among the concerns identified are delays in staff promotions linked to leadership transitions and inconsistencies in the implementation of human resources policies. There are also growing concerns over the Commission’s technical preparedness in key regulatory areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain technology and cloud security, which are becoming increasingly important in Nigeria’s digital economy.

Although the NCC operates various training programmes, sources familiar with the agency said many of the opportunities are concentrated at senior management level, leaving middle- and junior-level employees with limited access to specialised technical training needed to regulate emerging technologies.

Industry observers believe addressing these capacity gaps through targeted staff development, improved transparency in human resources processes and expanded technical training would strengthen the Commission’s regulatory effectiveness.

Since assuming office in October 2023, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, has initiated reforms aimed at improving institutional efficiency, strengthening staff engagement and restoring confidence within the organisation.

According to sources, Maida’s efforts to reposition the Commission have encountered resistance from entrenched interests within the agency, particularly over reforms intended to improve recruitment practices and organisational efficiency.

The investigation revealed concerns over an expanding workforce, with critics alleging that past recruitment exercises contributed to an oversized staff population in some departments without corresponding operational needs.

Observers also point to growing differences between the Commission’s leadership and some long-serving departmental heads over the direction of ongoing reforms. The absence of a governing board has reportedly heightened internal tensions, with strategic disagreements occasionally slowing policy implementation and decision-making.

Industry analysts noted that such bureaucratic challenges could affect the timely execution of key regulatory initiatives, including spectrum management, licensing reforms and digital policy implementation.

Experts have therefore called for stronger internal governance, recommending regular departmental performance reviews, improved collaboration across directorates and greater transparency in institutional decision-making to reduce internal resistance to reforms.

They also advocated increased investment in technical capacity-building through partnerships with global telecommunications and digital regulatory institutions to equip NCC personnel with the expertise required to oversee emerging technologies.

Beyond internal reforms, analysts stressed the need to strengthen the Commission’s institutional independence by reviewing relevant provisions of the Nigerian Communications Act to shield its leadership from undue political influence.

They also recommended clearer delineation of responsibilities among key digital sector regulators, including the NCC, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), through a harmonised national digital policy framework to eliminate overlapping mandates.

Industry stakeholders further argued that recruitment into the Commission should prioritise technical competence, professional experience and merit to ensure the regulator remains equipped to address the increasingly sophisticated challenges of Nigeria’s evolving communications sector.

They maintained that strengthening institutional integrity, improving workforce capacity and deepening governance reforms would enhance the NCC’s ability to effectively regulate the telecommunications industry and support Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.