The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has endorsed the eWorld Forum’s celebration of more than two decades of Nigeria’s GSM revolution, underscoring the regulator’s pivotal role in the transformation of the country’s telecommunications industry.
The Commission is expected to deliver the keynote address at the event, scheduled for September 24, 2026, at the Oriental Hotel, Lagos, where industry stakeholders will gather to reflect on the remarkable journey of Nigeria’s telecommunications sector since the introduction of GSM services in 2001.
The celebration will also feature the launch of new books by veteran technology journalist and writer, Aaron Ukodie, whose decades of reporting have documented significant developments in Nigeria’s technology and telecommunications landscape.
The NCC’s involvement places the regulator at the heart of an event designed to chronicle not only the extraordinary growth of the sector but also the policies, institutions, businesses and individuals that helped shape its evolution.
The eWorld Forum event is expected to attract policymakers, regulators, telecommunications operators, technology entrepreneurs, industry executives and other stakeholders who have contributed to, witnessed or benefited from Nigeria’s telecommunications transformation.
The Commission joins the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) and the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN), which have already thrown their support behind the celebration.
Before the GSM revolution, telecommunications services in Nigeria were characterised by limited access, high costs and inadequate infrastructure. The commercial launch of GSM in 2001 fundamentally altered that landscape, opening the door to mass-market mobile communication and laying the foundation for the country’s digital economy.
Over the past two decades, mobile connectivity has reshaped virtually every aspect of Nigerian life, from communication and commerce to banking, financial technology, entertainment, education and access to information.
At the institutional level, the NCC has been central to that transformation. Through licensing, spectrum management, regulatory oversight, consumer protection and measures designed to promote competition, the Commission has helped create an environment that encouraged investment and innovation across the telecommunications ecosystem.
The resulting expansion has made telecommunications a major component of Nigeria’s economy, while the broader digital ecosystem built around mobile connectivity has generated employment, created new business models and expanded access to digital and financial services.
The NCC’s participation in the celebration is therefore significant, given its place in virtually every chapter of the country’s telecommunications evolution.
The Commission has been led over the years by a succession of notable executives, including former Executive Vice Chairman Dr Ernest Ndukwe, who played a prominent role during the formative years of the GSM era, and the current Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Aminu Maida.
Their tenures, alongside those of other industry leaders and stakeholders, form part of the institutional history of a sector that has evolved from basic voice connectivity into an increasingly sophisticated digital infrastructure ecosystem.
Beyond celebrating the past, the September event is expected to examine the next phase of Nigeria’s digital transformation, particularly the opportunities and challenges associated with broadband expansion, 5G deployment, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, digital financial services and other emerging technologies.
The book launch by Ukodie is expected to add a valuable historical perspective to the occasion. As a veteran technology journalist, his work has followed the development of Nigeria’s technology and telecommunications sectors, providing a record of the people, policies and events that accompanied the country’s digital transformation.
The NCC’s keynote is expected to focus on the evolution of Nigeria’s telecommunications industry, the importance of effective regulation in sustaining growth, lessons from more than two decades of GSM deployment and the opportunities for building a more inclusive and prosperous digital economy.
With the NCC joining ALTON and IXPN in supporting the initiative, the eWorld Forum GSM Revolution Celebration and Book Launch is shaping up as a major industry gathering—one that will bring together the institutions, businesses and personalities whose contributions helped make Nigeria’s telecommunications revolution one of the country’s most consequential technological transformations.
