The National Communications Authority (NCA) has launched its 30th anniversary celebrations, highlighting its role in transforming Ghana’s telecommunications landscape and signaling a renewed push toward inclusive digital growth.
The year-long programme, themed “30 Years of Communications Regulation, Celebrating Impact, Advancing a More Inclusive Digital Future,” comes as the regulator positions itself for a more complex phase of oversight in a sector increasingly shaped by data services, fintech integration and emerging technologies.
Speaking at the launch in Accra, Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations Samuel Nartey George said the Authority’s mandate has evolved beyond traditional regulation to broader ecosystem development.
“Beyond its statutory regulatory mandate, the NCA has over the years played an important enabling role in strengthening Ghana’s communications and digital ecosystem through targeted institutional and sector-wide interventions,” he noted.
Looking ahead, the minister called for regulatory systems that keep pace with innovation while protecting consumers. “Our responsibility as a nation is to ensure that innovation serves development, inclusion, and opportunity. We must build forward-looking regulatory systems, invest in digital skills for our young people, protect citizens in the digital space, and create an environment where innovation thrives,” he added.
Board Chair Mavis Ampah traced the Authority’s roots to Ghana’s early telecommunications reforms, recalling milestones such as the acquisition of its first spectrum monitoring system and establishment of its initial operational office in Cantonments.
“If the first thirty years were defined by expanding access, the next thirty must be defined by deepening inclusion, better and more reliable connectivity, broader opportunity, and more diverse leadership. Let this celebration mark not only our achievements, but also a renewed commitment to excellence, integrity, innovation, and inclusion,” she said.
Director General Rev. Ing. Edmund Y. Fianko described the sector’s growth as the result of both regulatory oversight and private investment.
“I joined this Authority in December 2004 as a National Service person, fresh from university and eager to contribute. Since then, I have had the privilege of serving continuously within the NCA, learning, growing, and working alongside dedicated professionals who believe deeply in the mission of this institution,” he said.
“The progress we celebrate today reflects not only regulatory leadership but also the confidence of investors, the ingenuity of engineers and entrepreneurs and the strong collaboration between the Authority and industry,” he added.
Over three decades, the NCA has overseen liberalization, spectrum allocation, broadcast licensing and infrastructure expansion that have significantly increased mobile penetration and internet access across Ghana. The anniversary programme will include stakeholder engagements and initiatives aimed at strengthening oversight and promoting innovation.
Former board chairs and directors-general, including inaugural Director-General J. K. Gyimah and former chief executive Dr. Joe Anokye, attended the launch at the NCA Tower alongside industry executives and government officials, underscoring the regulator’s central role in Ghana’s communications sector.
