Telecoms Seek Modern Policy Framework, Says Okoh Aihe

The stakeholder meeting held in Lagos last week highlighted the stark reality that Nigeria’s telecommunications sector is still governed by a policy document that is over two and a half decades old. The policy’s relevance has been eclipsed by rapid technological progress and the sector’s complex growth.

The policy has clearly become outdated. Expectations have outpaced the document’s provisions, and the industry has emerged as a key driver of growth across the economy. For example, the National Telecommunications Policy 2000 noted approximately 500,000 connected telephone lines, largely owned by the state‑owned NITEL, in a country of about 120 million people. Today the market is liberalised, competitive, and hosts more than 185 million lines.

Participants at the gathering recognised the policy’s transformative impact. Key figures who helped shape the original policy—Engr Ernest Ndukwe, Engr Titi Omo‑Ettu, Paul Usoro (SAN), and Dr Steven Adzenge—were present, underscoring that the sector’s achievements are visible in the proliferation of service providers, the diversity of services, and the sector’s growing influence on other industries.

The industry’s continued demands, the emergence of new services and technologies, and the daily influx of innovations have rendered the two‑decade‑old document obsolete. The Lagos meeting acknowledged this reality. Dr Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination and Head of the Central Results Delivery Unit, set the framework for discussion.

Usman, speaking on the theme “The Imperative of Policy Drivers in Attaining National Objectives and Building Collaboration across Sectors and Segments of Government,” recalled that the 2000 policy was crafted at a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s reform journey. It aimed to support sector liberalisation, attract private investment, foster competition, and transform telecommunications from a limited public service into a dynamic economic sector. She noted, “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.”

Usman emphasised that a policy is more than a document; it reflects a country’s priorities, guides public institutions, and translates government choices into measurable outcomes. It provides direction to regulators, confidence to investors, clarity to implementing bodies, and a benchmark for progress.

The two‑day gathering, designed as an expanded stakeholder engagement, aims to produce a document that will spur new growth. Usman outlined the need for a revised policy that balances innovation with responsibility, competition with sustainability, and investment attraction with consumer protection. She added, “Nigeria’s digital future depends on our ability to create an environment in which private capital can support public objectives. This requires clear rules, fair competition, infrastructure protection, coordinated taxation, streamlined approvals, and a stable policy environment.”

Maida, in his opening remarks, traced the evolution of telecom development and identified the current era as the “fourth era: the area of advanced regulatory frontiers.” He listed emerging issues such as 5G, artificial intelligence, satellite broadband, the Internet of Things, cloud infrastructure, critical national information infrastructure, digital trust, network resilience, and sustainable investment.

He warned that telecommunications is no longer a narrow sector; it is now productivity infrastructure for the entire economy, supporting commerce, agriculture, manufacturing, transport, financial services, education, health, public administration, and the everyday productivity of millions of Nigerians.

Maida called for broader inclusion in discussions to capture the perspectives of all stakeholders who influence operations and developments across the economy. He stressed that regulation must support broadband infrastructure, digital financial services, cybersecurity, identity systems, e‑government, data governance, consumer trust, innovation, and critical infrastructure protection. This requires collaboration with institutions such as the NDPC, CBN, FCCPC, NITDA, ONSA, state governments, and other public bodies. He added that the next telecommunications policy should recognise that regulation has shifted from sector oversight to ecosystem stewardship—moving from managing telecommunications services to enabling Nigeria’s broader digital transformation.

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) advocates collaborative regulation and inclusive, evidence‑based policy‑making. Rather than imposing rigid, overarching laws, the organisation offers strategic guidance and benchmarks to help countries build flexible, resilient, and competition‑friendly digital frameworks.

ITU’s stance promotes Collaborative and 5th‑Generation (G5) Regulation—holistic approaches that cover health, finance, transport, and other sectors to accelerate digital inclusion; Spectrum and Orbit Management—aligning national policy with the ITU’s Radio Regulations; Emergency Preparedness—encouraging the design and implementation of National Emergency Telecommunications Plans (NETPs); and Harmonisation and Standardisation—adopting global technical standards to enable interoperability across borders. The NCC’s meeting aligns with these ITU principles, adapted to Nigeria’s specific needs, projections, and expectations.

Reflecting on the past, the National Telecommunications Policy 2000 may have seemed modest and restrictive at the time, but its projections were bold and forward‑looking. Today, technology has reshaped the landscape, and stakeholders must focus on the big picture to meet Maida’s call: “to build a consensus around policies and regulatory approaches that will strengthen Nigeria’s position as a leading digital economy in Africa.”

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