NCC Defends ₦472bn 2026 Budget, Lawmakers Demand Greater Accountability

NCC Defends ₦472bn 2026 Budget, Lawmakers Demand Greater Accountability

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has presented and defended its proposed ₦472 billion budget for the 2026 fiscal year before the joint communications committees of the Senate of Nigeria and the House of Representatives of Nigeria in Abuja, amid calls from lawmakers for more transparency and detailed justification of its financial projections.

During the budget defence, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Aminu Maida, told the lawmakers that the proposed budget was designed in line with the Federal Government’s 2026–2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF). He explained that the budget outlines the Commission’s financial plans for recurrent spending, capital projects, statutory obligations and other key regulatory activities for the year.

Maida stated that the Commission intends to allocate about ₦424 billion to recurrent expenditure. He noted that the funds would cover personnel costs, operational expenses, regulatory oversight, industry monitoring and other activities required for the effective supervision of the telecommunications sector.

He further revealed that ₦15 billion has been proposed for capital projects and strategic interventions. These include programmes aimed at improving broadband penetration in underserved areas and strengthening initiatives designed to protect telecom consumers.

The NCC boss also disclosed that the Commission plans to remit about ₦207 billion to the Federal Government’s Consolidated Revenue Fund. In addition, ₦20 billion is expected to be transferred to the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) to support the development and expansion of digital infrastructure across the country.

Speaking on the performance of the telecommunications industry, Maida informed the committees that the sector recorded noticeable progress in 2025. He attributed the growth to increased investments in network infrastructure by telecom operators as well as regulatory measures implemented by the Commission, which he said helped improve broadband penetration and service quality across networks.

Despite the explanations, lawmakers pressed for further clarification on several issues. The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Communications, Ikra Aliyu Bilbis, alongside the Chairman of the House Committee on Communications, Akeem Adeniyi Adeyemi, sought more details regarding the Commission’s internally generated revenue projections, as well as the gap between previously approved budgets and actual expenditure.

Members of the committees also raised questions about unutilised funds from previous fiscal years and urged the Commission to provide clearer explanations and documentation.

In addition, lawmakers examined the relatively small allocation for capital projects and called on the regulator to ensure that projects funded under the budget produce measurable outcomes. They also requested comprehensive plans relating to spectrum management, reforms on telecommunications Right-of-Way charges, and strategies to strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy.

While scrutinising the budget proposal, lawmakers acknowledged the growing importance of the telecommunications sector to the country’s economy. They noted that the NCC had surpassed earlier revenue expectations in the previous fiscal year and increased its remittances to the federation account.

Representatives of civil society organisations who attended the session also urged the Commission to maintain strong attention to consumer protection, improved service delivery, affordable telecommunications services and broader digital inclusion, particularly in rural communities.

The presentation forms part of the ongoing legislative review of the 2026 Appropriation Bill by the National Assembly, which proposes a total federal budget of about ₦58.47 trillion for the year.