The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has commenced a review of Nigeria’s 26-year-old telecommunications policy.
Special adviser to the president on policy and coordination, Hadiza Usman, who made this known while speaking at the national telecommunications policy review workshop in Lagos, said the current framework no longer reflects the realities of the country’s fast-changing digital economy.
She said the review had become necessary because Nigeria’s economy, technology ecosystem, and security environment had changed significantly since the national telecommunications policy was introduced in 2000.
“A policy that was fit for purpose in the year 2000 cannot simply be assumed to remain adequate in 2026,” Usman said.
She said telecommunications had evolved beyond voice connectivity and now supports financial technology, digital commerce, education, healthcare, agriculture, innovation, public service delivery, 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 added.
Usman pointed out that outdated or poorly coordinated policies weaken implementation, discourage investment, create institutional overlaps, and reduce measurable national impact.
She added that the revised framework must address broadband penetration, affordability of digital access, quality of service, infrastructure resilience, consumer protection, and inclusion of underserved communities.
