The telecommunications reform in Nigeria set the stage for the large-scale deregulation and liberalisation of markets, which allowed for hundreds of telecommunications and broadcasting licenses to be allocated. As it stands, any telecommunications operator that wants to transmit broadcast signals first has to obtain the telecommunications license and frequencies from the NCC, and then obtain the broadcast license and frequencies from the NBC. With the global trend that will see the two regulatory bodies merge, this report questions which regulatory body’s practice of assignment will prevail, and what steps will be taken to improve transparency and usage of spectrum – especially of the newly-freed broadcasting frequencies from digital migration.
Also read the article More spectrum could make licensing a more transparent process in Nigeria or read the other country reports.