An eight-member delegation from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), headed by Maigana Gidado Ahmed, paid a two-day visit to Ghana’s National Communications Authority (NCA) Tower in Accra on May 7 to May 8.
The visit aimed to strengthen regulatory collaboration and bilateral ties between the two institutions.
The delegation’s visit was welcomed by Edmund Yirenkyi Fianko, Acting Director General of the NCA, who emphasised the longstanding relationship between the two institutions.
Fianko expressed appreciation for the visit and acknowledged the growing cooperation between the NCA and NCC, noting that both institutions have worked together on several key regional issues.
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During the visit, Fianko highlighted the importance of the partnership between Ghana and Nigeria, particularly in light of the trade and communication links between the two countries.
He explained that Ghana has established ECOWAS free roaming agreements with several neighbouring countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, and Benin, and is currently testing agreements with The Gambia.
“We have always supported each other when needed, and it is important that we continue to set the tone for regional leadership, especially on the international front. Ghana is keen to work with Nigeria on areas such as ECOWAS Roaming, cross-border monitoring of shared market players, and regulatory capacity building”, the NCA Ag. DG remarked.
He also noted how Ghana and Nigeria’s unified stance has influenced policy and development in the subregion. Fianko hoped the visit would strengthen their shared vision and enhance collaboration.
NCC and NCA efforts to promote sub-regional collaboration between Ghana and Nigeria
NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman, Dr. Aminu Maida, was represented by Maigana Gidado Ahmed, who discussed Nigeria’s ongoing efforts to improve collaboration, consumer protection, infrastructure resilience, and quality of service.
He noted that the NCC delegation sought to learn from the NCA’s experience in implementing these initiatives and how both agencies could work together to address challenges in the telecommunications sector.
Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, also praised the NCA’s regulatory achievements, particularly its success in managing market dominance and deploying real-time regulatory tools.
In reference to ECOWAS Roaming,Maida noted that while Nigeria’s regulatory decisions take into account factors such as market size and revenue, promoting deeper sub-regional integration remains a priority for the NCC.
“We recognise the strong ties between our institutions and countries, and we are here not just because of what we have heard but because we have seen the impact of the NCA’s work. Nigeria is eager to collaborate on ECOWAS Roaming and learn from Ghana’s experience dealing with significant market players.” he said.
In addition to discussing policy, the two delegations visited the NCA’s regulatory monitoring facilities, which include the Network Monitoring System, Broadcast Monitoring Centre, and Quality of Service measurement instruments.
Additionally, Dr. Maida invited Ghana to become a member of the International Institute of Communications (IIC), pointing out that the African chapter is still in its infancy and would gain from Ghana’s involvement and guidance.
The two regulatory authorities’ already solid relationship was further cemented at this bilateral coordination meeting, which also set the stage for future cooperation within the ECOWAS subregion.