Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Usman, yesterday hinted that the Federal Government has approved the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC’s attempt at reviewing the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.

According to her, Nigeria cannot build a competitive digital economy with outdated telecommunications policies and weak implementation systems.

Usman made the revelation at the NCC-organised National Telecommunications Policy Review Workshop in Lagos yesterday.

She said the review became necessary, considering the dynamic nature of the Information and Communications Technology sector where the economy, tech ecosystem, security realities, and expectations of citizens have changed significantly over the past two decades.

She said telecommunications has evolved beyond voice connectivity and now supports financial technology, digital commerce, education, healthcare, innovation, public service delivery, agriculture, and national security coordination.

“A policy that was fit for purpose in the year 2000 cannot simply be assumed to remain adequate in 2026,” she said.

She, however, warned that poorly-coordinated policies, arising from unclear, fragmented, outdated laws, often weakened implementation, created institutional overlaps, discouraged investment, and reduced measurable national impact.

For her, policies must no longer be treated as mere government documents but as frameworks that give direction to regulators, confidence to investors, and clear expectations to citizens.

She argued that when policy lacks clarity, implementation becomes inconsistent, responsibilities overlap, resources are poorly targeted, and public institutions struggle to achieve measurable development outcomes.

She advised that the revised policy must address broadband penetration, affordability of digital access, quality of service, consumer protection, infrastructure resilience, and inclusion of underserved communities.

She also stressed the need for stronger collaboration among federal institutions, state governments, local authorities, investors, regulators, operators, and infrastructure providers to accelerate sector-wide growth.

This is even as she warned against approaching the review of the telecommunications policy as merely a regulatory exercise rather than as a broader national development assignment tied to economic reform objectives.

She said the government was increasingly focused on strengthening the link between policy formulation, implementation, coordination, monitoring, and measurable delivery across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies.

And now, the proposed National Public Policy Development and Management Framework is coming at the right time to address those gaps through standardised processes, implementation planning, periodic evaluation, and evidence-based governance systems.

Earlier in his opening remarks, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Aminu Maida said the telecommunications market had outgrown the assumptions behind the National Telecommunications Policy 2000.

Maida said the policy was introduced at a period when Nigeria’s priority was liberalisation, increased access, competition, and private sector participation in telecommunications services.

According to him, the sector has since evolved from basic connectivity into a major digital ecosystem supporting banking, commerce, education, entertainment, cloud services, digital identity, and government operations.

He said the industry had also moved into a new era shaped by advanced technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence, satellite broadband, cloud infrastructure, Internet of Things, and cybersecurity regulation.

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

Maida noted that the review of the telecommunications policy was necessary to preserve competition, universal access, consumer protection, and independent regulation while supporting innovation and investment.

He said the revised framework must also address long-standing structural challenges including fibre cuts, vandalism, high energy costs, multiple taxation, permitting delays, and rural connectivity gaps.

According to him, those challenges had become national development concerns because they affected the quality, resilience, and reach of digital services across the economy.

Maida said the workshop was designed to review implementation of the existing policy, identify gaps, engage stakeholders on reform proposals, and develop recommendations for a new National Telecommunications Policy 2026.

The NCC boss said the commission aimed to develop a modern policy framework capable of supporting innovation, protecting consumers, improving quality of experience, strengthening investment, and advancing Nigeria’s digital economy ambitions.

He urged stakeholders to approach the review process with openness, innovation, and a shared commitment toward strengthening Nigeria’s position as a leading digital economy in Africa. (Vanguard)

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