FG Pushes for Overhaul of 2000 Telecom Policy to Match Nigeria’s Digital Reality
The Federal Government has called for a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s National Telecommunications Policy 2000, saying the framework, which was designed over two decades ago, no longer reflects the realities of today’s fast-evolving digital economy.
The Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman, made this known on Wednesday in Lagos during a telecoms policy review workshop organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.
The forum, themed “The Imperative of Policy Drivers in Attaining National Objectives and Building Collaboration across Sectors and Segments of Government,” brought together key stakeholders across the telecom and digital ecosystem.
Usman said the 2000 policy played a critical role in opening up Nigeria’s telecoms sector, but stressed that the environment had changed significantly since then.
According to her, what worked in 2000 cannot be assumed to still be effective in 2026, especially given the rapid transformation in technology, connectivity, and digital services.
She described the review as an opportunity to reflect on past progress, assess current challenges, and design a more forward-looking framework for the sector.
“The workshop is not merely a technical engagement. It is an invitation to look back with honesty, examine the present with clarity, and prepare for the future with discipline,” she said.
Usman noted that telecommunications has evolved far beyond basic voice services, becoming a backbone for digital trade, fintech, identity systems, e-governance, education, healthcare, agriculture, security, and innovation-driven jobs.
She added that a modern policy must address key issues such as infrastructure gaps, service quality, consumer protection, data governance, investment flow, digital skills, and cybersecurity.
“The review will help bridge the digital gap and improve public service delivery,” she said, urging stakeholders to contribute meaningfully to the process.
Also speaking, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, said Nigeria’s telecom sector had moved from a period of limited access and state dominance to a competitive and liberalised market.
He explained that the next phase of regulation must go beyond oversight to ecosystem development, supporting broadband expansion, digital finance, cybersecurity, and critical infrastructure protection.
Maida said the commission initiated the review process to ensure broader collaboration across government institutions, states, and industry players.
He stressed that the updated policy must reflect Nigeria’s position in a digital-first world where telecoms now underpin nearly every aspect of national development.
Stakeholders from agencies including the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) also backed the initiative, describing it as timely and necessary for accelerating Nigeria’s digital transformation.
