NCC Launches Mentorship Network for Women in Telecoms

Oghenevwede Ohworiole in Abuja

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has launched a new programme designed to enhance the representation of women in leadership roles within the telecommunications sector.

During the inaugural event, the NCC Executive Vice‑Chairman (EVC), Dr. Aminu Maida, explained that the initiative aims to shape and support younger women in the industry.

“This event is a gathering to help share experiences and encourage them to aspire and reach the top of their career,” he said. “We have a lot of strong women. I see a lot of promise in the next generation of women in the commission,” he added.

Rimini Makama, the NCC Executive Commissioner for Stakeholders Management (ECSM) who launched the platform, discussed the rationale behind the programme.

Makama said the programme was created to mentor and prepare the next generation of women leaders, fostering a robust professional network within the commission and the wider telecommunications industry.

“We want to harness that energy and wisdom and channel it into developing women working in the regulatory environment to ensure we continue to build and scale female leadership,” she said. “We also want to institutionalise it so that when I leave the NCC, it will be adopted by whoever comes next. It is not going to die with me; it is here to stay,” she added.

She reiterated that the programme would also prepare future women leaders to establish a strong professional network both within the commission and across the broader telecommunications sector.

Makama further explained, “The NCC wants to institutionalise a leadership platform that would outlive its current management and remain a permanent feature of the commission’s capacity‑building process.”

“Although several leadership initiatives for women already existed, the NCC programme marks the commission’s first deliberate effort to establish a structured community and mentorship network for female professionals,” she said.

According to her, the commission has made significant progress in promoting gender inclusion, with about 70 per cent of its directors being women.

Makama observed that the strong representation of women in leadership positions within the commission, as well as across the private telecommunications sector, offers an opportunity to leverage their experience and expertise for the benefit of younger professionals.