A telecommunications stakeholder, Mr Chidi Ibisi, has called on the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to create deliberate space for small operators to survive alongside dominant industry players.
NCC
Ibisi, Executive Director of Business Development at Broadbased Communications Ltd., made the plea Tuesday at a Stakeholders’ Forum on the Study of Competition Levels in Nigeria’s Telecommunications Industry in Lagos.
He acknowledged innovation and investment-led dominance by major operators but urged regulators to recommend policies accommodating smaller players for a balanced market. “The big players are well-known. They have invested and are dominant. We can’t disagree with that, but we are making a plea that, in your recommendations, you allow room for small players to be able to play,” Ibisi said.
Ibisi stressed transparency in the competition study, noting available industry data and small operators’ concerns over policy outcomes rather than data access.
He warned that without regulatory mechanisms, dominant players could crowd out smaller firms through scale and investment power, not necessarily unfair practices. “You cannot fight the big player, that is the reality. What we are asking for is a way to work harmoniously, where everyone gets a piece of the pie,” he stated.
Ibisi advocated sector-specific approaches recognising dominance in segments while carving opportunities for smaller firms. “In every sector you want to name, there are dominant players. What we’re saying is, in each sector, carve out a mechanism where small players can survive,” he added.
Citing the United States market—described as the world’s most competitive—as proof that nationwide, regional, rural, and family-owned operators coexist successfully, Ibisi expressed confidence Nigeria could achieve similar balance with the right framework.
