NCC Tackles A2P Messaging Challenges, Seeks Stakeholder Input
By Patience Ikpeme
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has maintained its commitment to addressing critical challenges in the Application-to-Person (A2P) messaging ecosystem and fostering sustainable growth in the telecommunications sector.
This was revealed during a virtual Stakeholder Forum held on Friday, which brought together industry players, government representatives, and consumers to discuss the future of A2P messaging in Nigeria.
Speaking at the forum through the Acting Head of Legal and Regulatory Services, Mrs. Chizua Whyte, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, described A2P messaging as a cornerstone of modern communication. He noted its widespread application across various sectors for notifications such as bank alerts, healthcare reminders, promotional campaigns, and government updates.
Dr. Maida highlighted key challenges facing the A2P messaging sector, including fraud, spam, data privacy breaches, and inequitable value distribution among stakeholders. He stressed that these issues undermine consumer protection, stifle fair competition, and impede the industry’s growth.
“The A2P messaging space is grappling with significant challenges that threaten consumer trust and industry sustainability,” Dr. Maida stated.
The forum provided a platform for the NCC to unveil its proposed A2P Messaging Licensing Framework. This initiative aims to foster innovation while ensuring fairness, transparency, and security within the sector. Dr. Maida urged stakeholders, including operators, aggregators, businesses, and service providers, to actively engage in refining the framework to address existing gaps and shape the future of A2P messaging in Nigeria.
Dr. Maida identified three key stakeholder groups integral to the success of A2P messaging. These are: leveraging A2P messaging for efficient citizen engagement and public service delivery; relying on the platform for timely and secure access to essential updates and services and utilizing the platform to drive innovation, ensure fair competition, and achieve sustainable growth.
The NCC emphasized the importance of stakeholder feedback in creating a robust ecosystem that protects consumers, promotes fair competition, and unlocks growth opportunities.
The NCC highlighted several benefits of A2P messaging, including enhanced user trust, improved security, increased revenue retention through local economic growth, and transparency in operations and tariffs. It also announced plans to introduce an International A2P Messaging License to further enhance communication efficiency and fairness.
Dr. Maida assured participants that the Commission’s ultimate goal is to create a thriving A2P messaging ecosystem that fosters economic growth, protects consumers and businesses, and promotes a competitive telecommunications market.
The virtual forum is part of the NCC’s participatory rule-making process aimed at developing a licensing framework for a new category in Nigeria’s telecom sector—the A2P Messaging Licensing Framework. This initiative represents a significant step toward addressing the sector’s challenges and realizing its full potential for socio-economic development.
The event reinforced the NCC’s strategic focus on its core stakeholders—government, consumers, and the industry—while underscoring its dedication to innovation, regulation, and the advancement of Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.
