Emma Okonji
The federal government has stressed the need for a review of the implementation of Nigeria’s National Telecommunications Policy 2000, established 26 years ago for policy direction and regulation.
Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman, made the point yesterday during the ongoing telecoms policy review in Lagos, organised by Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.
The forum is themed, “The Imperative of Policy Drivers in Attaining National Objectives and Building Collaboration across Sectors and Segments of Government.”
Usman said a policy that was fit for purpose in 2000 could not simply be assumed to remain adequate in 2026, hence the need for the review.
In her keynote address, Usman said the review would help in developing modern frameworks that would shape the next phase of Nigeria’s telecommunications development.
She stated, “The workshop is not merely a technical engagement. It is an invitation to look back with honesty, examine the present with clarity, and prepare for the future with discipline. The National Telecommunications Policy 2000 was developed at a defining moment in Nigeria’s reform journey.
“It supported the liberalisation of the sector, encouraged private investment, enabled competition, and helped transform telecommunications from a limited public service into one of the most dynamic sectors of the Nigerian economy.”
Usman said, “More than two decades later, Nigeria has changed. Technology has changed. The economy has changed. The expectations of citizens have changed. What was once largely understood as voice connectivity has become the foundation for digital trade, e-commerce, financial technology, digital identity, public service delivery, education, health, agriculture, security, disaster response, innovation, and job creation.
“The review will therefore help to bridge the existing digital gap and enhance public service delivery.”
She advised industry stakeholders to make meaningful input that would enable the reviewed policy to address identifiable challenges and build a resilient and digitised economy.
According to her, a modern telecommunications policy must speak not only to networks and operators, but also to national productivity, inclusion, innovation, competition, consumer protection, data governance, infrastructure resilience, public service delivery, digital skills, investment, and security.
She said, “We must understand where coverage gaps exist, where service quality is weak, where infrastructure is vulnerable, where consumer complaints are concentrated, where investment is constrained, where states have created enabling environments, and where coordination failures are slowing progress.”
In his opening remarks, Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, said when the telecoms policy was introduced in 2000, Nigeria’s telecommunications sector was at a very different stage of development.
Maida said the immediate priority then was to move from a state-dominated market, limited access and low tele-density, to a liberalised and competitive industry.
He said the telecoms environment had evolved, adding that in today’s era, regulation must support broadband infrastructure, digital financial services, cybersecurity, identity systems, e-government, data governance, consumer trust, innovation and critical infrastructure protection.
Maida called for collaboration with relevant institutions, state governments, and other public bodies to shape the new narratives in the telecoms sector.
According to him, the next telecommunications policy must recognise that regulation has moved from sector oversight to ecosystem stewardship—from managing telecommunications services to enabling Nigeria’s broader digital transformation.
“It is against this backdrop that the commission has convened the workshop as part of a public consultative process to review the existing policy framework and chart a new course for the future of telecommunications in Nigeria,” Maida said.
Industry stakeholders from Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), among others, present at the review workshop, supported the initiative, which they said would help to fast-track development in the telecoms sector, in line with global digital transformation.
