The Federal Government has underscored the urgent need to review the implementation of Nigeria’s National Telecommunications Policy 2000, describing the 26-year-old framework as outdated for the country’s rapidly evolving digital economy.
Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman, stated this on Wednesday at the ongoing telecommunications policy review workshop in Lagos. The event was organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.
The workshop, themed “The Imperative of Policy Drivers in Attaining National Objectives and Building Collaboration across Sectors and Segments of Government,” brought together stakeholders across Nigeria’s digital and telecommunications ecosystem.
Speaking during her keynote address, Usman said the telecommunications landscape had transformed significantly since the policy was introduced in 2000, making a comprehensive review necessary to align the framework with present-day realities.
According to her, the policy played a major role in liberalising the telecoms sector, attracting private investment, encouraging competition and transforming telecommunications into one of the strongest drivers of Nigeria’s economy.
However, she noted that the digital ecosystem now extends beyond voice connectivity to include e-commerce, financial technology, digital identity systems, education, healthcare, agriculture, security and public service delivery.
“A policy that was fit for purpose in 2000 cannot simply be assumed to remain adequate in 2026,” Usman said, adding that the review would help bridge Nigeria’s digital divide and strengthen public service delivery nationwide.
She urged industry stakeholders to contribute meaningfully to the review process to ensure the new framework addresses current challenges and supports a resilient digital economy.
Usman further stressed that a modern telecommunications policy must focus on areas such as innovation, consumer protection, infrastructure resilience, investment, data governance, digital inclusion and cybersecurity.
She also highlighted the need to identify service coverage gaps, weak infrastructure, consumer concerns and regulatory bottlenecks slowing sectoral growth.
In his opening remarks, Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Aminu Maida, said Nigeria’s telecoms sector had evolved significantly since the policy was first introduced.
Maida explained that the policy initially focused on liberalising a state-controlled market with low tele-density and limited access. He added that today’s digital era requires regulations that support broadband expansion, cybersecurity, digital financial services, e-government platforms and critical infrastructure protection.
He called for stronger collaboration among government agencies, state governments and industry players to shape a future-ready telecommunications sector.
According to him, the next phase of regulation must go beyond overseeing telecoms services to enabling Nigeria’s broader digital transformation agenda.
Stakeholders at the event, including representatives of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission and the National Information Technology Development Agency, expressed support for the initiative, saying it would accelerate growth and innovation in Nigeria’s telecoms industry in line with global digital trends.
