The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has launched a Women in Leadership Programme to build a pipeline of female leaders and expand career opportunities in Nigeria’s telecommunications and digital technology sectors.
—“A structured community, not a one-off”—
Unveiled in Abuja Thursday, the initiative will provide mentorship, professional networks, and capacity-building to help women take on greater responsibility within the regulatory and wider telecoms industry.
Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management, Rimini Makama, said the programme is the Commission’s first deliberate effort to create a structured mentorship community for female professionals in regulation.
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“Although several leadership initiatives for women exist, this is our first deliberate effort to create a structured community. We want to build a mentorship network for female professionals within the regulatory environment,” Makama said.
She added that the goal is permanence: “We want to institutionalise it so that when I leave the NCC, it will be adopted. It is not going to die with me; it is here to stay.”
—Leveraging NCC’s 70% female director base—
Makama highlighted existing gender progress: women currently hold about 70% of director-level positions at the NCC.
“We want to harness that energy and wisdom and channel it into developing women working in regulation. We must continue to build and scale female leadership across the industry,” she said.
—Maida: Platform to inspire the next generation—
NCC Executive Vice-Chairman, Aminu Maida, described the programme as strategic for preparing future leaders.
“This gathering will encourage women to aspire and reach the top of their careers,” Maida said, noting many talented women in the Commission have the potential to assume key roles.
“I see a lot of promise in the next generation of women in the commission,” he added.
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—What the programme will do—
1. Mentorship community: Pair senior female regulators with early- and mid-career professionals for knowledge transfer.
2. Networking & knowledge sharing: Create platforms for cross-sector learning and visibility.
3. Institutionalised capacity-building: Embed the programme into NCC’s long-term framework beyond current leadership tenures.
The NCC says the initiative is expected to drive greater gender inclusion, mentorship, and leadership development as part of building a more diverse and innovative telecoms industry in Nigeria. [Culled from NAN]
