President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday appointed new boards for the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), reinforcing oversight of two key agencies in the country’s telecoms and digital infrastructure sector.
This was contained in a statement announced by the special adviser to the president on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Tuesday.
The NCC, which regulates Africa’s largest telecom market by subscriber numbers, will be chaired by Idris Olorunnimbe, a former board member of the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, where he led youth employment and entrepreneurship initiatives.
Dr Aminu Wada will remain the commission’s executive vice chairman and chief executive, having been appointed in October 2023 and confirmed by the Senate the following month.
Other NCC board members include Abraham Oshidami as executive commissioner for technical services and Rimini Makama as executive commissioner for stakeholder management. Also appointed are former NCC director Maryam Bayi, retired army colonel Abdulwahab Lawal, Senator Lekan Mustafa, Chris Okorie, and Princess Oforitsenere Emiko.
Tinubu also approved the composition of the USPF board, which manages government funding to expand access to information and communications technologies in rural, unserved, and underserved parts of Nigeria. Communications minister Bosun Tijani will chair the board, with Olorunnimbe serving as vice chairman.
Other members are Oshidami, Makama, Aliyu Edogi Aliyu representing the communications ministry, Joseph B. Faluyi from the finance ministry, Auwal Mohammed from the budget and national planning ministry, Uzoma Dozie, Peter Bankole, Abayomi Anthony Okanlawon, and Gafar Oluwasegun Quadri, alongside the USPF secretary.
The presidency said the move was aimed at strengthening governance, ensuring continuity, and delivering on national policy goals for universal access to ICT services.
