The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has commenced a review of Nigeria’s 26-year-old telecommunications policy, saying the current framework no longer reflects the realities of the country’s fast-changing digital economy.
Speaking at the national telecommunications policy review workshop in Lagos, the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Usman, said the review had become necessary because Nigeria’s economic, technological and security environment had changed significantly since the policy was introduced in 2000.
She said a framework designed for the year 2000 could no longer adequately serve the needs of 2026.
“A policy that was fit for purpose in the year 2000 cannot simply be assumed to remain adequate in 2026,” Usman said.
She noted that telecommunications had evolved beyond voice services and now supports fintech, digital commerce, education, healthcare, agriculture, innovation, public services and national security operations.
“Telecommunications is no longer a standalone sector. It is an enabling platform for almost every other sector of national life,” she said.
Usman warned that outdated or poorly coordinated policies could weaken implementation, discourage investment, create institutional overlaps and reduce national impact.
According to her, the revised framework must address broadband penetration, affordability, service quality, infrastructure resilience, consumer protection and inclusion of underserved communities.
“The revised policy must not become another document that sits on shelves. It must become a working instrument,” she said.
She also listed fibre cuts, vandalism, multiple taxation, delayed approvals, right-of-way bottlenecks, insecurity and energy constraints as major challenges affecting telecom infrastructure expansion.
Earlier, the executive vice chairman of the NCC, Aminu Maida, said the sector had outgrown the assumptions of the 2000 national telecommunications policy.
He noted that the industry had evolved from basic telecommunications services into a broader digital ecosystem powering banking, commerce, education, cloud services, entertainment and government systems.
“This is no longer a narrow telecommunications conversation… it is a productivity infrastructure for the entire economy,” Maida said.
He added that emerging technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence, satellite broadband, cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT) and cybersecurity regulation had further transformed the sector.
Maida said the review would also address rural connectivity gaps, taxation burdens, vandalism, high energy costs, fibre cuts and delays in obtaining permits.
He explained that the goal was to develop a modern policy framework capable of supporting innovation, improving consumer protection, strengthening investment and advancing Nigeria’s digital economy.
The workshop, he said, was aimed at assessing the current policy, identifying gaps and developing recommendations for a new National Telecommunications Policy 2026.
