·Obasanjo’s telephone reform turning point for Nigeria, says Ndukwe

The Federal Government, through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has unveiled ambitious economic targets from the proposed review of the National Telecommunications Policy, including N1.6 trillion in additional tax revenue and nearly two million new jobs by 2028.

Speaking at a policy review workshop in Lagos on Wednesday, NCC’s Executive Vice Chairman/CEO, Dr Aminu Maida, disclosed that deeper digitalisation across key sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing, transport, trade, and government, could add approximately two percentage points to Nigeria’s GDP within two years.

“The GSMA has estimated that deeper digitalisation across agriculture, manufacturing, transport, trade and government could add around two percentage points to GDP by 2028, create nearly two million jobs, and generate an additional N1.6 trillion in tax revenue,” Maida said.

He stressed that the policy review is not merely a sectoral update but an economic development exercise critical to broadening Nigeria’s tax base, improving public service delivery, and building a more inclusive and resilient economy.

Maida noted that Nigeria’s telecom sector has evolved through four distinct eras, from market liberalisation in 2000, to network expansion, to a digital ecosystem phase, and now into an “era of advanced regulatory frontiers” involving 5G, artificial intelligence, satellite broadband and critical national information infrastructure.

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

The NCC chief also highlighted that the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) now classifies Nigeria as a fourth-generation regulatory environment, with advanced readiness for fifth-generation collaborative digital regulation. This shift, he explained, means the NCC’s role has expanded from licensing operators to enabling the entire digital economy—working alongside agencies like NDPC, CBN, NITDA, NIMC, and state governments.

The two-day workshop, held at the Marriott Hotel, Lagos, brings together industry pioneers, former regulators, development partners, and policymakers. Its goal is to review the successes and gaps of the 2000 policy and produce actionable recommendations for a new National Telecommunications Policy 2026.

“The policy helped build the market we have today, but the market has outgrown the assumptions of that period,” Maida said. “Our task is to preserve enduring principles while developing a modern framework that supports broadband expansion, innovation, investment, and quality of experience.”

The NCC chief urged participants to approach deliberations with a shared sense of national purpose, adding: “The policy choices we make today will determine not only the future of telecommunications, but also Nigeria’s ability to create jobs, formalise businesses, and build a truly inclusive digital economy.

In his paper, Chairman, MTN Nigeria Board and former EVC, NCC, Ernest Ndukwe, said the liberalisation of the telecom sector some 25 years ago by President Olusegun Obasanjo highly impacted the Nigerian ecosystem in diverse ways, and laid the foundation for the country’s digital transformation.

According to him, Nigeria’s telecom sector was deeply embarrassed before the reforms, with fewer than 200, 000 ordinary Nigerians having access to telephone services in a country with an estimated population of about 120 million people at the time.

“The number of connected lines was growing at an average of about 1,250 subscribers per month. This was clearly inadequate and embarrassing for a country of Nigeria’s size and economic potential,” Ndukwe stated.

He explained that by the end of 2000, Nigeria ranked among countries with the lowest teledensity levels globally despite decades of state control under the defunct Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL).

Ndukwe said the roots of telecommunications development in Nigeria dated back to 1886 when the first telegraph cable was laid by a British company, but noted that progress remained painfully slow for decades.

“At independence in 1960, Nigeria had only about 18,724 fixed telephone lines,” he stated.

According to him, the current telecom policy requires urgent updates to accommodate new digital realities, especially emerging technologies.

“I have a feeling that the current NCA might require tweaking after so many years,” he stated.

Ndukwe recalled the transformation of the sector from the era of limited fixed lines and minimal mobile lines to Africa’s largest telecom market, driven largely by liberalisation and regulatory reforms. (The Guardian News)

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