Licensing FAQ

A Communications Licence is an Individual Licence or a Class Licence issued by the Commission which authorizes the holder to provide communications service, in line with Section 31 of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003.

The Commission is authorized to issue communications Licences for the operation and provision of communications services or facilities by way of Class or Individual Licences

• A Class Licence is a type of general authorization in which the terms and conditions/obligations are common to all holders of the Licence to provide and operate the service so classified. Requires only simple registration process with the Commission.
• Individual Licence is an authorization which gives an undertaking specific rights or which subjects those undertakings to specific obligations. Some Individual Licenses may require resources such as Spectrum, Numbering plan, Right of Way etc.

Please visit our web site: www.ncc.gov.ng under Licensing and Regulation, click list of Licensee

To be eligible for a specific Licence, the applicant must be duly incorporated in Nigeria by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and have valid Tax Identification Number (TIN) issued to the company by Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). A duly registered Business Name is also eligible to apply for a Class Licence in Nigeria.

1. The requirements for Class Licence

Sign up on esevices.ncc.gov.ng and click on Licensing Application Management System to apply:

1. Fill the form and upload the relevant documents listed below:

1. Certificate of Incorporation or Registered Business Name obtained from the Corporate Affairs Commission, Nigeria.
2. Tax Clearance Certificate.
3. Certified True Copy of the Memorandum & Articles of Association if applicable.
4. Certified True Copy of the Particulars of Directors or Registration of Business Name as applicable.
5. Electronic copy of passport photograph of authorized representative.
6. Certificate(s) of qualified technical staff
7. Brief on the proposed service
8. Electronic copy of passport photographs of Directors of the Company/Proprietor (s)
9. Any other document listed.

2. Applications should be submitted when all documents above have been uploaded.
3. On submission of the application, a Class Licence fee of Ten Thousand Naira (₦10,000.00) only, is payable via the Licensing Application Management System

B. The requirements for Individual Licence

Sign up on esevices.ncc.gov.ng and click on Licensing Application Management System to apply.

Fill the form and upload the relevant documents listed below:

1. Certificate of Incorporation obtained from the Corporate Affairs Commission, Nigeria.
2. Tax Clearance Certificate
3. Certified True Copy (CTC) of Memorandum & Articles of Association
4. Feasibility report of proposed service
5. Electronic copy of passport photograph of authorized representative
6. Certificates of qualified technical staff (where applicable)
7. Certified True Copy (CTC) of Particulars of Directors or CAC Status Report
8. Electronic copy of passport photographs of Directors of the company
9. Certified True Copy (CTC) of Company's Registered Address Form.
10. Utility bill of the official address of the Company.
11. Financial projections including fundamental, profit and loss account and balance sheet, The amount budgeted for the project i.e. estimated funding for the deployment of the proposed service
12. Evidence of funding for the project
13. Right of Way approval (where applicable)
14. Memorandum of Understanding (where applicable)
15. Application should be submitted when all documents above have been uploaded.
16. On submission of the application, a non-refundable administrative charge, 5% of the relevant Licence fee should be paid via the Licensing Application Management System. Licence fee is payable on approval of application.
17. As a prerequisite for the grant of a Licence, an applicant for Automated Vehicle Tracking Service (AVTS) Licence must obtain a security clearance from the State Security Service (SSS) for the proposed service before approval is granted for the Licence. The Personal History Statement Form (PHS) for the company and its Directors will be provided by the Commission for completion by applicant.
18. An applicant for a Value Added Service (Content Service using Short Code) Licence must present:
    1. Evidence of an Agreement or a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the company and any of the licensed VAS Aggregators.
    2. Alternatively a financial service duly issued to it by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for Mobile Money Services should be presented and
    3. A licence from the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC) for lottery services.

Steps for Applying for new Individual Licence:

Step 1

• From your Portal, on the eservices main dashboard select Company details,
• Upload the following details:
  • Director(s),
  • Company Secretary (if applicable)
  • Shareholder (if applicable)
  • TCC Records including TIN
  • Proprietor information for Business Name.
  • Current Tax Clearance Certificate (TCC). Also make sure that FIRS activates your TCC.

• Waiting for the verification and validation of information (Note that this is done by the NCC team)

Step 2

• Select Licensing Application Management System to apply for Class or Individual Licence
• Click New Licence
• Select the type and category of Licence follow the process.

A tutorial video is available on the LAMS application portal on how to use the application. You may contact the Commission at for any further enquiries.

The Zonal Offices are established to oversee licensees and communication services within their states of coverage. However the LAMS allows both new applications and request for renewal of exist.

The Licence fees payable vary according to the services. Please visit the Commission’s website: www.ncc.gov.ng under licensing link for the fee structure or contact the Commission for the applicable fees.

Kindly visit our fees & pricing page on https://ncc.gov.ng/licensing-regulation/licensing/fees-pricing to view the list.

• Individual Licence: According to the provision of the Nigerian Communication Act 2003, the Commission is required to convey its decision to the applicant within 90 days of receipt of the application for an individual Licence with complete documentation that is not the subject of a competitive bid. However, depending on the service and completeness of required information and availability of resources such as spectrum and numbering, application may be processed within shorter periods.
• Class Licence: Once an application is completed and all requirements met, the applicant is issued an Offer Letter immediately.

• If you are a Local Company, select your company's ownership type. Provide your Registered Company (RC) Number obtained from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in Nigeria.
• Provide your company's valid Tax Identification Number (TIN) issued in Nigeria by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) as a registered Taxpayer.
• If you are existing Licensee, provide your NCC issued Licence number.
• Proceed to the next stage and fill in all the required company details including your company's representative (user) details.
• Review and then click the "Submit" button to complete your registration.

The outcome will be communicated via the status tab on the Licensing Application Management System portal.

• Sign up on the Commission’s eservice portal via the link: esevices.ncc.gov.ng,
• click on Licensing Application Management System (LAMS),
• view your Licence and
• click on renew to apply for renewal of Licence

(Please note that to successfully submit an application for Licence renewal, the licensee is required to provide/upload the evidence of compliance with relevant Licence obligations. Compliance with Licence obligations is required for Licence renewal.) 

The obligations are;

1. Financials
   • Annual Operating Levy (AOL) – Upload Audited Financial Statement of Account and Upload the evidence of payment of AOL
   • Spectrum Fees, if applicable– Upload the evidence of payment
   • Numbering Fees, if applicable– Upload the evidence of payment, etc.
2. Type Approval of Equipment – Upload the list of equipment in use on the network / for service provision or provide evidence of equipment Type Approval.
3. Upload a current CAC Company Status Report and the Statement of Allotment of Shares originally filed at the time of application for Licence.
4. Clearance on any matters of outstanding enforcement issues.
5. Approved Individual Consumer Code of Practice (ICCP) – Upload the evidence of Approval or Draft ICCP that meets the Consumer Code Practice Regulations, 2007.
6. Approved Disaster Recovery Plan. The Disaster Recovery Guidelines is available on the Commission’s website www.ncc.gov.ng under the Licensing & Regulation Section. Submit a draft document for review and approval.
7. Clearance on Yearly submission of Operator Statistical Data.
8. Upon fulfilment of necessary obligations and approval of licence renewal application, licensee would be requested to pay the applicable renewal fee(s).

Contact for further assistance

+234094617054 +234094618720, +234094618719, +234094618714

Yes, all applications are saved automatically.

Kindly visit the https://ncc.gov.ng/licensing-regulation/licensing/licensing-documents page to view the documents and frameworks for our Licences.

Licensing & Authorisation Department

Nigerian Communications Commission

Plot 423, Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja,

Federal Capital Territory, Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Tel: +234-9-4617055, 234-9-4617054 and 234-9-4618714 or

Send an email to

A Unified Access Service Licence is an individual Licence that allows the licensee to provide a bouquet of services under a single Licence. The licensee is permitted to provide Digital Mobile and Fixed telephony services, National Long Distance, International Gateway services under one Licence.

You require a Class Licence to operate a cybercafé in Nigeria.

Please visit the Commission website under Licensing & Regulation, click Guideline you will see the Commission’s Guidelines on International Gateway Access and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

NCC does not regulate technology; however an interested operator must have an operating Licence and the required frequency to be able to provide the service.

You are required to apply new Licence and renewal of existing Licenses on Licensing Application Management System (LAMS). Support are also provided through Chabot on the application platform.

The Zonal offices are Primarily established to oversee Licensees and Communications services within their states of coverage.

You can process your Licence directly with the Commission. NCC has not appointed any agent for the purpose of processing and obtaining Licences on behalf of applicants.

The NCC does not grant Licences for radio broadcasting. You may contact the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission for further information on establishing a FM Radio Station.

An applicant must be adequately capitalized to provide the proposed service. Evidence of sufficient funding is one of the requirement for Licence.

A Company applying for a Licence must be registered in Nigeria by the Corporate Affairs Commission (C.A.C)

The Commission has a surveillance programme aimed at identifying illegal operators and appropriate sanctions/enforcement action against any defaulter who fails to regularize operations.  The Commission would be pleased to receive information from the public on only suspected illegal Operator.

Upload a current CAC

• Ensure the necessary information has been provided
• Review your Company Details,
  • Add and wait for validation of your Tax Identification Number (TIN) by FIRS.
  • Ensure your undertaking is properly ticked
  • Select company representative
  • make payment
  • Click on the submit button. (You can only submit your application once the submit button is enabled.

Note that you are required to register your company and then apply for the Licence by clicking on the Licensing Application Management System (LAMS) to begin the Licence application process.

Submit a formal request for refund to the Commission in writing attaching all supporting documents.

Please note that TCC and TIN verification and validation is done by FIRS. The Commission does not reject / process TCC or TIN. Kindly contact FIRS for further assistance.

Memorandum and Article of Association must include telecommunication as an object clause that allows the company to provide telecommunication service in Nigeria.

Upload your CAC Status Report in place of MEMART if it is not a limited liability company. However, note that your Principal Business Activity must include a telecommunication clause.

• Total number of allotted shares must sum up to 100% for information to be saved successfully.
• Share allotment must conform to the information filed with the CAC.

• Information for each Shareholder must be complete and accurate as filed with the CAC.
• You may add, remove, or modify each shareholder’s rating, one after the other until it sums up to 100%, then click on Save.
• Note that the total rating must conform to the information filed with the CAC.

• Provide the name(s) of the proprietor(s) and give it a 100% shares. After that make sure you tick the undertaking.
• Select the company’s authorized representative.

• Upload Shareholder and Company Secretary Information just the same way you uploaded Director.
• Company Shareholder and Shareholding as well as Company Secretary must be listed on CAC Company Status Report.

Short code inquiries or renewal - Contact or .

Contact:

Tel: +234-9-4617055, and 234-9-4618714

Send an email to

• Once your Licence application is successfully submitted, channel all further enquires via the comment section of the Licensing Application Management System (LAMS)
• Log into your profile
• Open your ongoing application
• Send you comments via chat window at the top right-hand corner of the dashboard.
• Contact:

Tel: +234-9-4617055, and 234-9-4618714

Send an email to

• The Commission does not grant a Licence for SIM registration
• You can apply for Sales and Installation Class Licence for sale of recharge cards.
• Kindly visit the NCC website at https://eservices.ncc.gov.ng and choose a category of the Class Licence that suits the services you wish to offer.

• Click on Licensing Application management System
• Select Provide Licence details
• Submit your Licence information for verification and approval

A licence is legal document that grants you the authority to engage in a telecom business or to provide a telecom Service.

There are two categories of licenses namely: class and individual license.

• An Individual Licence is a type of authorization in which the terms, conditions and obligations, scope and limitations are specific to the service being provided. Process of licensing can take the form of Auction, "First Come First Served", "Beauty Contest" or a standard administrative procedure, etc.
• A Class Licence is a type of general authorization in which the terms and conditions/obligations are common to all license holders. Requires only registration with the Commission for applicants to commence operation.

A Unified Licence is an authorization that allows the licensee to provide a basket of services under a single license. For example, under a Unified License, the licensee may be allowed to provide Mobile and Fixed telephony services, National Long Distance, Gateway services under one license, it can be Regional or National Services.

The requirement for Class licence are listed below:

• Obtain a bank draft of N1, 000 payable to Nigerian Communications Commission for the form. (The Commission’s name must be written in full on the draft)
• Fill the application form and produce two more copies.
• Attach the following documents :
  1. Certificate of Incorporation
  2. Tax Clearance Certificate but if it is a new Company, atax waiver letter should be obtained and attached to the submission.
  3. Certified true copy of Articles and Memorandum of Association
  4. 2 passport photographs of authorized representative
  5. Certificate of qualified technical staff. (if applicable)
• Completed application should be submitted in duplicate with all necessary documents attached and bound
• License fee on submission of application is N10,000
• All payments are in bank draft

The requirements for an Individual Licence are:

• Obtain a bank draft of N1, 000 payable to Nigerian Communication Commission for the form. (The Commission’s name must be written in full on the draft)
• Fill the application form and produce three copies.
• Attach the following documents :

1. 1. Certificate of Incorporation
   2. Current Tax Clearance Certificate but if it is a new ompany, a letter indicating tax waiver should be obtained and attached to the submission.
   3. Certified true copy of Articles and Memorandum of Association.
   4. 3 passport photographs of authorized representative.
   5. Feasibility report of proposed service applied for.

• Completed application should be submitted in triplicate with all necessary documents attached and bound.
• On submission, a non refundable administrative charge which is 5% of the relevant licence fee would be paid.
• License offer is granted if all conditions/requirements are met. All payments are in bank draft

The license fees payable varies according to the services. Please contact the Commission or check Licencing link on the Commission’s website for the Licence fee structure.

According to the provision of the Nigerian Communication Act 2003, an applicant must receive a response with respect to licence application within 90 days of the submission of the application. However for Class Licence, once your application is complete, you get your offer letter immediately. For individual licence, depending on the service and completeness of required information, the conclusion of the process takes between 4‐8 weeks.

You require a Class license to run a cybercafé.

These services include;

• Sales and Installation of Terminal equipment (Mobile Cellular Phones, Satellite Communication and Switching equipments etc).
• Public Payphone Services.
• Internet Services.
• Prepaid Calling Card Services.
• PNL LEO (Local Exchange Operator)
• Paging Services.
• Trunk and 2-Way Radio Network Services.
• Fixed Telephony Services, employing cable and Radio.
• Satellite Network Services (e.g. Domestic VSAT networks).
• Repairs & Maintenance of telecommunications facilities.
• Cabling services.
• Tele-Centers/Cyber Cafes.
• Non-commercial/User Operated Radio Networks.

The following are the measurement criteria used to gauge the operational status of licensees after the award of the license has been awarded;

• Licence Fees paid.
• Start up Organization/Staff in place.
• Office set up.
• Logistics in place.
• Finances Organized.
• Site Survey and Site Selection.
• Equipment Selection.
• Frequency Allocation.
• Type Approval of Equipment.
• Number Allocation.
• Commitment on Equipment Procurement.
• Site and Infrastructure preparation.
• Procurement of Equipment.
• Installation of Equipment.
• System turn-on and Commencement of service.

Please go to the Licensing section of this website (ncc.gov.ng) and and click on the List of Licensees link.

A Value Added telecommunication services are non‐core Network telecommunication services which are beyond standard voice calls. These services include Internet, Directory service, paging service, voice mail and Prepaid Calling Card service, Call Center services, content services, Vehicle Tracking. The service provider does not own a network to provide the service and may ride on existing networks.

Additional requirements for VAS (Content Services Using Short Code) are as follows: 1. Evidence of an Agreement or a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) entered between the Company and the Mobile Network Operator(s) for the provision of VAS – Content Services. 2. Alternatively, the Company should provide a copy of License duly issued to it by the CBN for Mobile Services or Lottery Commission for lottery services.

Premium services are content services which are provided either in‐house by the mobile network or by a third‐party (Content Provider). These services include MMS, Bulk SMS, Ring Tones, Weather Reports, Flight Information Schedules, Sports, Entertainment et cetera. These are usually charged at higher rate than the normal SMS rates.

NCC has issued directions to operators to suspend all promotional activities that result to increased up‐take of service which may lead to congestion of the networks and degradation of the network performance. The Commission has also set up a traffic monitoring Committee on QoS, to monitor Qos thresholds and have directed that any network that does not meet the thresholds should pay compensation to subscribers. The Commission has since published the QoS thresholds, acquired monitoring equipment and has embarked on continuous monitoring of network performance based on the threshold.

Complaint are filed to Consumer Affairs Bureau of the Commission via  and also via the complaint form on the NCC Consumer Portal.

The Commission has a surveillance programmed aimed at identifying illegal operators and appropriate sanctions/Enforcement action against any defaulter who fails to regularize operations. The Commission would be pleased to receive information from the public on suspected illegal operators.

The Commission has continued to license more operators. The Commission has twice reduced the interconnect rate which has a direct effect on retail tariff. Subscribers should also ensure that they “shop right” by choosing networks with comparative lower tariffs. It is also expected that competition will continue to bring down tariff as the case in most liberalized markets.

There is a table/chart of available frequencies which is regularly updated. Please visit Spectrum Issues section of this site.

Refer to the frequency chart as mentioned above.

Please also refer to the chart.

Obtain a form or download a copy from the Application Forms page in the Spectrum Issues section of the website. Complete the form as instructed and submit to the Commission.

The Commission does not license or regulate technology. The Commission has published a guideline on VoIP in Nigeria. Please see the Legal and Regulatory section of the NCC website.

NCC does not regulate technology; however an interested operator must have an operating license and the required frequency to be able to provide the service.

Visit the Type Approval page under the Technical Standards section of the NCC website.

All telecom equipment coming into Nigeria must be type approved by NCC before importation, sale or connection to Nigerian telecoms network as contained in section 132, 133 of the NCA 2003.

Prevention of crime is within the purview of the law enforcement agencies; however, NCC has continued to collaborate with the relevant agencies in the fight against cyber crime.

Lagos Zonal Office 9A Bankole Oki Street, Behind Ikoyi Club, Ikoyi, Lagos. TEL: +234-1-4630643-5 FAX: +234-1-4630309	Port Harcourt Zonal Office 23A Igbodo Street, Old GRA Behind 1st Bank Port Harcourt, Rivers State. TEL: +234-84-466230, 84300321 FAX: +234-84-464283
Kano Zonal Office No. 1, Sokoto Road, By Audu Bako Secretariat, Nasarawa GRA, Kano, Kano State. TEL: +234-64‐947822, 319999 FAX: +234-64‐328855	Enugu Zonal Office No. 2 Ugwuoba Street, Off Ezillo Avenue, Independence Layout, Enugu, Enugu State. TEL: +234-42-250435, 257776 FAX: +234-42-250435
Ibadan Zonal Office 102A, DPC Road   off Government House Road, Agodi GRA, Ibadan, Oyo State. TEL: +234-2-2918710, 2918711

The Zonal Offices are set up to assist in processing licenses for applicants’ resident in their locations or contiguous states.

It is advisable that you can process your licence directly with the Commission. This will not cost you anything more than the required licence fee. NCC has not appointed any agent for the purpose of obtaining a licence.

NCC has not set any minimum share capital. However, the Commission reserves the right to investigate the financial and technical capability of an applicant to deploy service in the license category chosen.

All Companies applying for a license must be registered in Nigeria by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

The Nigerian Broadcasting Commission is the Government Agency responsible for the granting of license for the establishment of an FM Radio Station.