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From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has commenced a review of the National Telecommunications Policy (NTP) 2000, nearly three decades after it was approved.
Citing rapid technological changes and evolving market realities that have overtaken the existing framework, the Commission announced the move on Monday with the release of a consultation paper inviting stakeholders to submit inputs on proposed amendments to the policy.
According to the NCC, the review is aimed at repositioning Nigeria’s telecommunications policy to align with current developments in digital services, internet governance, satellite communications, broadband expansion and universal access, while sustaining the sector’s role as a major driver of economic growth.
The Commission explained that the NTP 2000 was itself introduced to replace an earlier framework that had become obsolete. It noted that the policy replaced the 1998 National Telecommunications Policy and introduced full market liberalisation, broad stakeholder consultation and a unified regulatory framework under the NCC.
Approved under a nascent democratic government, the policy marked a decisive shift from state control to liberalisation, competition and market-driven growth in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.
The NCC recalled that prior to liberalisation, the sector was dominated by a government-owned monopoly and was characterised by poor service delivery and limited access. It stressed that just as the 1998 policy became outdated by rapid global technological changes, the 2000 policy now requires a comprehensive overhaul to address today’s realities, including platform-driven digital services, broadband-dependent applications and emerging non-terrestrial networks.
The Commission noted that the formulation of the National Telecommunications Policy led to the licensing of GSM operators in 2001 and 2002, a development that transformed the market almost overnight. Mobile subscriptions quickly overtook fixed-line users, revealing massive pent-up demand and the sector’s growth potential.
It added that the policy paved the way for the enactment of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, which established a strong statutory and regulatory foundation for the industry. Since then, the telecommunications sector has grown into one of Nigeria’s most vibrant industries, attracting significant foreign direct investment and contributing substantially to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.
The NCC acknowledged that the policy played a central role in enabling e-commerce, digital financial services and the broader digital economy, driving Nigeria’s transition from a slow-moving, state-controlled telecom sector to a competitive and innovation-driven market.
As part of the ongoing review, the Commission disclosed that several chapters of the policy would be updated. These include revisions to provisions on the internet to address online safety, internet exchange frameworks and policy direction on content moderation and digital services.
The chapter on satellite communications is also slated for a comprehensive review to establish a modern policy framework for satellite harmonisation, service provisioning and coexistence between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, including clearer spectrum mapping for improved service delivery and cost-effective universal connectivity.
In addition, the NCC said provisions on financing and funding would be reviewed to address the monetary and fiscal support required to stimulate sector growth, especially in the context of ongoing tax and fiscal reforms. Stakeholder input is also being sought on measures to tackle persistent challenges such as multiple taxation and overlapping regulatory mandates.
Beyond revisions to existing chapters, the Commission is proposing a new chapter focused on broadband objectives, protection of critical national communications infrastructure, harmonisation of right of way charges across all tiers of government and the introduction of a one-stop permitting process for telecom infrastructure deployment.
