President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Idris Olorunnimbe as the new Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Nigeria’s telecommunications regulator.
The announcement came alongside the constitution of the boards of the NCC and the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), both under the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.
Olorunnimbe, a familiar name in public service and entrepreneurship development, previously served on the board of the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), where he chaired the Stakeholder and Governance Committee.
During his tenure, he championed youth employment initiatives and entrepreneurship programmes that impacted thousands of small businesses across Lagos.
With his new role at the NCC, Olorunnimbe will lead policy oversight for an industry that contributes over 13% to Nigeria’s GDP and is critical to the country’s digital transformation drive.
He will work closely with Dr Aminu Maida, the NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, who was appointed by the President in October 2023 and confirmed by the Senate the following month.
NCC Board composition
Other members of the newly constituted NCC board include Abraham Oshidami as Executive Commissioner, Technical Services; Rimini Makama as Executive Commissioner, Stakeholder Management; Hajia Maryam Bayi, former Director of Human Capital & Administration; Col. Abdulwahab Lawal (Rtd); Senator Lekan Mustafa; Chris Okorie; Princess Oforitsenere Emiko; and the board secretary.
- Interestingly, Olorunnimbe will also serve as Vice Chairman of the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) Board, with Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, as Chairman.
- The USPF was created to promote universal access to ICT services in rural, unserved, and underserved areas across Nigeria.
- The new board appointments come at a time when the NCC is expected to deepen broadband penetration, strengthen telecoms infrastructure, and address quality of service issues amid Nigeria’s fast-growing digital economy.
What you should know
The USPF was established by the Federal Government of Nigeria to facilitate the achievement of national policy goals for universal access and universal service to information and communication technologies (ICTs) in rural, un-served and under-served areas in Nigeria.
The Fund is being managed to facilitate the widest possible access to affordable telecommunications services for greater social equity and inclusion for the people of Nigeria.
Core objectives of the Fund include:
- Ensuring all Nigerians have access to ICT, regardless of their location or socioeconomic status.
- Providing affordable and reliable telecommunications services to everyone.
- Specifically targeting vulnerable groups and ensuring they benefit from ICT access.
- Recognizing that ICT access can drive economic development in underserved areas.
