The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, has attributed the Commission’s low revenue generation to its inability to sell the 5G spectrum to telecom operators in the country.

Speaking during the budget defense exercise before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Telecommunications at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, Maida explained that despite the NCC’s efforts to auction the 5G spectrum, it remained unsold.


He noted that the two largest telecom operators had already acquired and were underutilizing their 5G spectrum, while the third-largest operator, which the Commission had hoped would make a purchase, opted to focus on expanding its 4G network instead. The NCC team revealed that in 2024, the Commission had projected a transfer of ₦332.8 billion to the Consolidated Revenue Fund but was only able to remit ₦111 billion.


For 2025, the projected revenue stands at ₦272.4 billion, expected to come from operational levies and spectrum fees. Despite the revenue shortfall, the committee expressed satisfaction with the NCC’s 2024 budget performance and its proposed estimates for 2025. Earlier, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Telecommunications, Senator Ikrah Bilbis, emphasized the sector’s significance, citing data from the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics that showed telecommunications contribute around 16% to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). He stressed the need for the NCC to be fully equipped both financially and operationally to effectively carry out its regulatory functions.