Presidency moves to rewrite telecom policy after 26 years

…Targets 1.6tn tax revenue, 2m jobs

Nigeria’s federal government has begun moves to rewrite the country’s telecommunications policy for the first time in 26 years as part of broader efforts to strengthen the digital economy, improve broadband access, protect telecom infrastructure, and unlock an estimated N1.6 trillion in additional tax revenue alongside nearly two million jobs.

The planned overhaul of the National Telecommunications Policy 2000 took centre stage at a Policy Review Workshop organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission in Lagos on Wednesday where government officials, regulators, operators, development partners, and industry stakeholders gathered to discuss the future of Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.

Delivering the keynote address, Hadiza Bala Usman, special adviser to the president on Policy and Coordination, said the review had become necessary because the telecommunications sector had evolved far beyond what the 2000 policy envisioned.

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According to her, telecommunications is no longer just about voice calls and connectivity but now serves as the foundation for digital trade, fintech, e-commerce, education, healthcare, agriculture, security, innovation, public service delivery, and job creation.

“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,” she said.

She, however, noted that Nigeria, technology, and the economy had changed significantly over the last 26 years. “More than two decades later, Nigeria has changed. Technology has changed. The economy has changed. The expectations of citizens have changed,” she stated.

Usman stressed that the review must go beyond updating a document and focus on building a modern telecommunications framework capable of supporting Nigeria’s broader economic and governance goals.

“A policy is not merely a document. It is the expression of a country’s priorities, the framework through which public institutions organise action, and the basis on which government choices are translated into measurable outcomes,” she said.

She warned that unclear or outdated policies often lead to poor coordination, duplication of responsibilities, weak implementation, and reduced impact.

According to her, the new telecommunications policy must address broadband expansion, affordability of digital services, protection of critical infrastructure, quality of service, innovation, consumer protection, cybersecurity, digital inclusion, and stronger collaboration among government institutions.

She added that the review aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the administration’s Eight Presidential Priorities.

“The telecommunications policy review should therefore not be approached only as a sectoral obligation. It should be understood as a national development assignment,” she said.

Usman further explained that the revised policy must contain measurable targets, implementation timelines, assigned responsibilities, funding structures, monitoring systems, and accountability mechanisms.

“The real test of a policy begins after the document has been approved. Approval is important, but approval is not delivery,” she said.

She also called for stronger coordination among regulators, operators, state governments, investors, and security agencies, especially on issues such as right of way, fibre deployment, infrastructure protection, taxation, digital literacy, and rural connectivity.

According to her, telecommunications infrastructure should now be treated as national infrastructure because disruptions affect businesses, hospitals, schools, financial systems, security agencies, and public institutions.

“Fibre cuts, vandalism, theft, multiple taxation, right-of-way bottlenecks, delayed approvals, energy constraints, and insecurity do not affect operators alone. They affect citizens, businesses, schools, hospitals, security agencies, financial systems, and public institutions,” she stated.

Earlier in his opening remarks, Aminu Maida, the executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said Nigeria’s telecommunications industry had undergone massive transformation since the introduction of the National Telecommunications Policy 2000.

He recalled that before liberalisation, the sector was dominated by NITEL with fewer than 500,000 active telephone lines serving over 120 million Nigerians.

“The policy served its time well. It helped open the market, attract private investment, promote competition, and lay the groundwork for stronger independent regulation,” Maida said.

According to him, the industry later moved into a network-building era focused on broadband infrastructure, spectrum planning, fibre deployment, infrastructure sharing, co-location, and universal access.

However, he noted that the sector still faces major structural challenges, including fibre cuts, vandalism, high energy costs, multiple taxation, permitting delays, and connectivity gaps between urban and rural areas.

“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 said.

Maida explained that Nigeria is now entering what he described as the advanced regulatory frontier involving emerging technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence, satellite broadband, cloud infrastructure, Internet of Things, digital trust, and cybersecurity.

“This is no longer a narrow telecommunications conversation. Telecommunications is no longer just one sector within the economy; it is productivity infrastructure for the entire economy,” he said.

The NCC boss disclosed that a GSMA report estimated that deeper digitalisation across sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, trade, and government could add around two percentage points to Nigeria’s GDP by 2028, create nearly two million jobs, and generate about N1.6 trillion in additional tax revenue.

“The policy choices we make today will therefore determine not only the future of the telecommunications industry, but also Nigeria’s ability to broaden its tax base, improve public service delivery, raise productivity, formalise more businesses, create jobs, and build a more inclusive and resilient economy,” he added.

Maida said the workshop was designed to review the implementation of the National Telecommunications Policy 2000, identify gaps and challenges, assess stakeholder proposals, and develop recommendations for a future-focused National Telecommunications Policy 2026.

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Also speaking, Ayuba Shuaibu, director, policy competition and economic analysis, department, NCC, said the workshop provided an opportunity to reflect on one of the most important policy interventions in Nigeria’s communications sector.

“The National Telecommunications Policy 2000 laid the foundation for the liberalisation of the sector and created the enabling environment for investment, competition, innovation and the remarkable growth that we have witnessed over the past two decades,” he said.

Shuaibu noted that the sector had evolved beyond traditional voice services and now plays a major role in economic growth, financial services, governance, digital innovation, and national development.

He added that emerging issues such as technological convergence, cybersecurity concerns, data governance, and collaborative regulation now require a future-focused telecommunications framework.

“This workshop therefore provides a timely platform for us to assess the implementation journey of the policy, reflect on key achievements and lessons learned, identify emerging challenges, and collectively shape the direction for a future-focused telecommunications policy framework,” he said.

Stakeholders at the workshop are expected to develop recommendations that will guide the emergence of a new National Telecommunications Policy aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda and positioning the country as a leading digital economy in Africa.