Nigeria’s telecoms stakeholders, regulators, and policymakers have urged for a complete revamp of the country’s telecommunications policy framework to better align it with emerging technologies, digital economy ambitions, and broader national development goals.
This request came on Tuesday during the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) National Telecommunications regulatory examine Workshop in Lagos, which aimed to examine the execution of the National Telecommunications Policy 2000 and build a forward-looking regulatory framework for the industry.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, stated that Nigeria’s telecoms sector has progressed far beyond the assumptions that shaped the National telecoms Policy of 2000.
According to him, the sector has progressed from a phase of liberalisation characterised by limited telephone access and market reforms to an advanced digital ecosystem powered by broadband, artificial intelligence, 5G, satellite broadband, cloud infrastructure, and digital services.
“When the National Telecommunications Policy 2000 was introduced, Nigeria’s telecommunications sector was at a very different stage of development,” Maida stated.
He stated that prior to the changes, the industry was administered by the defunct NITEL, which had fewer than 500,000 operational telephone lines servicing over 120 million Nigerians.
According to Maida, the policy was crucial in opening the market to private investment, fostering competition, and tightening regulation through the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, resulting in rapid expansion of connectivity across the country.
However, he stated that the sector is now facing more complex issues, such as fibre cuts, infrastructure vandalism, high energy prices, multiple taxation, permission delays, and chronic rural connectivity gaps.
“These are not just operational issues for operators; they are national development issues because they affect the quality, resilience and reach of digital services across the economy,” he stated.
The NCC chairman emphasised the importance of telecommunications in all parts of life, referring to it as “productivity infrastructure for the entire economy,” which supports commerce, agriculture, industry, healthcare, education, financial services, and public administration.
He stated that the reform of telecommunications policy must uphold basic concepts such as competition, universal access, independent regulation, and consumer protection while creating a modern framework capable of supporting innovation, investment, resilience, and broadband growth.
Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy and Coordination and Head of the Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit, delivered the keynote presentation, stating that the policy review was a governance and national development need, rather than a technical exercise.
According to her, policies must evolve from written texts to practical instruments that produce demonstrable results.
“A policy isn’t just a document. It is the expression of a country’s priorities, the framework within which public institutions arrange action, and the foundation upon which government decisions are transformed into measurable achievements,” she stated.
Usman emphasised that clear policy direction provides clarity for regulators, investors, and institutions, whereas weak or fragmented policy frameworks frequently result in duplication of effort, ambiguous mandates, and poor implementation.
She defined telecommunications as an enabling platform that supports almost every aspect of national life, including digital trade, fintech, education, healthcare, agriculture, security, and public service delivery.
She believes that a reformed telecommunications policy should address broader issues beyond networks and operators, such as national productivity, inclusivity, digital governance, infrastructure resilience, investment, cybersecurity, and consumer protection.
She also advocated for greater collaboration among federal and subnational governments, regulators, operators, investors, and other stakeholders to address obstacles such as rights of way, taxation, digital inclusion, infrastructure development, and cybersecurity.
“The NCC may regulate the industry, but the success of telecommunications policy also depends on the actions of many other public and private actors,” she stated.
Usman stated that the amended policy should be backed by a detailed implementation roadmap that outlines dates, roles, budget requirements, performance metrics, and reporting procedures.
She went on to say that policies, rather than being static documents, should be viewed as “living instruments of governance” that require periodic assessment, monitoring, and revision.
Both speakers linked the policy review to the Federal Government’s digital economy agenda and overall economic reform goals.
Maida quoted GSMA estimations indicating that further digitalisation in industries such as agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and government may considerably promote economic growth, create jobs, and increase government revenue.
Usman, for her part, believes the policy review should complement the administration’s Eight Presidential Priorities by demonstrating how increased telecommunications infrastructure and digital connectivity can boost productivity, innovation, jobs, competitiveness, and public service delivery.
The workshop, which included regulators, operators, development partners, policymakers, academics, and industry professionals, is intended to yield proposals for the creation of a new National Telecommunications Policy 2026.
Participants are expected to examine the National Telecommunications Policy 2000’s implementation record, identify policy gaps, and propose reforms to improve broadband access, digital inclusion, regulatory coordination, infrastructure protection, and Nigeria’s overall digital transformation agenda.