NCC’s Aminu Maida is DAYLIGHT Man of the Year 2025

Dr. Aminu Maida

Why DAYLIGHT Newspaper is honouring Dr. Aminu Maida as its Man of the Year 2025…His numerous achievements at Nigerian Communications Commission

By AZUH AMATUS

Dr. Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has emerged the winner of DAYLIGHT Online Newspaper Man of the Year 2025.

Amiable and cerebral Maida, was unanimously and overwhelmingly voted Man of the Year, by the management and board of editors of DAYLIGHT Online Newspaper, for his immense contributions to the growth and development of our nation’s telecommunications industry, within a short period in office.

Read full story below:

Since his appointment as the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in October 2023, Dr. Aminu Maida has emerged as a transformative leader in Nigeria’s telecommunications landscape. Tasked with steering the country’s telecom regulator into a new era of growth, innovation, and stability, Maida’s tenure has been characterized by strategic reforms, increased investments, regulatory innovations, and heightened global recognition.

Strengthening Regulatory Frameworks for Modern Telecommunications

One of the hallmark achievements of Dr. Maida’s leadership has been the development and implementation of robust regulatory frameworks aimed at improving transparency, accountability, and governance. Under his stewardship, the NCC unveiled tougher corporate governance rules for telecom operators, requiring improved board structures, separation of CEO and Chairman roles, and stronger internal audit functions to enhance industry accountability and performance.

Moreover, Dr. Maida championed the Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) Report, a comprehensive tool aimed at ensuring transparent and participatory rulemaking within the NCC. The RIA framework evaluates subsidiary legislation with a stakeholder-centric focus, lifting regulatory practices and enhancing accountability across the telecoms ecosystem.

Recognizing the central role of telecommunications infrastructure to national development and security, Maida successfully advocated for a Presidential Order designating telecom assets as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII). This landmark legal instrument empowers law enforcement to act decisively against vandalism, theft, and other disruptions that have historically threatened Nigeria’s digital backbone.

Driving Broadband Expansion and Connectivity

A cornerstone of Dr. Maida’s strategic vision has been accelerating broadband penetration across Nigeria. Although the ambitious national target of 70% broadband penetration by the end of 2025 faces challenges, the NCC has recorded measurable progress, with over 140 million Nigerians now connected to the internet — a broadband penetration rate nearing 49% as of August 2025.

Under his leadership, the NCC has pursued aggressive advocacy for Right of Way (RoW) waivers and reduced charges across states, substantially lowering barriers to fibre installation and boosting network rollout. To date, multiple states have adopted zero RoW fees, with others maintaining competitive benchmarks that catalyze infrastructure expansion.

Beyond policy advocacy, Dr. Maida has overseen initiatives that unlock new private sector commitments, with telecom operators pledging over $1 billion in broadband investments. These funds are directed toward expanding digital infrastructure, enhancing network capacity, and improving service quality — all critical components in strengthening Nigeria’s digital economy.

Boosting Industry Investment, Jobs, and Economic Impact

A pivotal impact of Maida’s tenure has been the renewal of investor confidence in Nigeria’s telecom sector. Collaborative regulatory reforms and predictable policy frameworks have encouraged major operators like MTN and Airtel to commit substantial capital expenditures for network expansion and resilience.

The growth in infrastructure investment has, in turn, stimulated job creation across the telecom value chain — from network deployment and maintenance to digital services and support. As telecoms continue to be a significant contributor to Nigeria’s GDP, such progress underscores the sector’s role as a key driver of economic growth and digital inclusion.

Additionally, the NCC’s revenue performance under Maida has been noteworthy. In the 2024 fiscal year alone, the Commission generated N195.8 billion in revenue from operating fees, spectrum allocations, and other sources, demonstrating financial sustainability and effective sector oversight.

Enhancing Consumer Protection and Sector Integrity

Consumer welfare and service quality have also been central themes during Maida’s leadership. The NCC has deployed systems such as the Device Management System (DMS) to track and block substandard imported devices, thereby improving overall network performance and protecting subscribers from poor quality equipment. Collaborative efforts with Nigeria Customs have amplified these controls, contributing to better service quality and regulatory compliance.

In tackling pervasive threats to network reliability — including fibre cuts, equipment thefts, and restricted access to sites — the NCC has partnered with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and state authorities to enforce safeguards and prosecute offenders. These actions reinforce infrastructure protection as a cornerstone of Nigeria’s digital resilience.

Elevating National and Global Recognition

Dr. Maida’s leadership has not gone unnoticed. The NCC was recently named one of the Top Five Best-Performing Federal Government Agencies by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, reflecting institutional excellence and regulatory efficiency.

Internationally, the Commission’s Digital Awareness Programme (DAP) won a prestigious World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prize 2025, affirming Nigeria’s impact on global digital inclusion and knowledge access.

And finally, in less than three years at the helm of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Dr. Aminu Maida has steered Nigeria’s telecom sector towards a future anchored in connectivity, innovation, and regulatory excellence. Through strategic policy reform, infrastructure advocacy, investor engagement, and consumer protection, his leadership has left an indelible mark on the country’s digital landscape, thus positioning Nigeria as a key player in Africa’s digital transformation.

Once again, we say a very big congratulations to Dr. Aminu Maida, for emerging DAYLIGHT Online Newspaper Man of the Year 2025.

We are extremely happy to honour and celebrate Dr. Maida’s visionary leadership and achievements at the NCC, as well as his invaluable contributions to the growth of the Nigerian telecommunications industry, since assuming office in 2023.

Meanwhile, a formal date and venue will be announced for the presentation of this rare and historic award to Dr. Maida, for being a miracle worker at the NCC.

Brief Profile of Dr. Aminu Maida:

Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)

By KEN EMORDI

Dr. Aminu Maida was appointed the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) by President Bola Tinubu, GCFR on Wednesday, October 11, 2023.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is the independent regulatory authority for the telecommunications industry in Nigeria.

Dr. Maida holds an MEng in Information Systems Engineering from Imperial College, London in 2002, and in 2006, he bagged a PhD in Electrical & Electronic Engineering from the University of Bath, United Kingdom.

Between 2018 and 2019, Maida completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship (FinTech Pathway) program at the Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Until his latest appointment by the President, Dr. Maida was the Executive Director, Technology and operations at Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS), the country’s central switch company owned by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and all licensed Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) in Nigeria.

At NIBSS, Dr. Maida was responsible for holistically spearheading the technical and operational standardization of all devices deployed in the financial system in Nigeria for interoperability. Maida led a dynamic team that ensured that all terminals used in the e-payment industry and all devices deployed in Nigeria would accept all cards issued by banks and other licensed card schemes without discrimination.

Prior to his appointment at NIBSS, Maida was the Chief Technical Officer (CTO) at the Nigerian-based FinTech Arca Payments Network and Senior Manager at Cisco Systems, United Kingdom.

As a seasoned technical professional with over 15 years of multi-functional and international experience in FinTech & Telecoms & Enterprise Technology, Maida between 2010 and 2014, worked as a Network Design Consultant at EE, part of BT Group, and one of the largest mobile communications companies in the UK.

He was also at some point (2006-2010) a System Engineer at Ubiquisys, a leading company in intelligent 3G and LTE small cells, which is now part of Cisco.

Dr. Maida, a professional par excellence with a broad range of experience, making him technically strong and commercially aware, is married with children.