NCC begins overhaul of decades-old telecoms policy to meet digital age

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has initiated a comprehensive review of the National Telecommunications Policy 2000, a foundational document nearly three decades old.

The Commission cites rapid technological evolution and new market realities that have rendered the existing framework outdated.

Announced on Monday alongside a released consultation paper, the review seeks stakeholder input to modernize the policy.

The objective is to realign Nigeria’s telecoms sector with contemporary trends in digital services, internet governance, satellite communications, and broadband expansion, while cementing its role as a primary economic driver.

The current policy, which succeeded a 1998 framework, introduced full market liberalization and established the NCC as the unified regulator. It marked a pivotal shift from the state-owned monopoly of the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL)—noted for obsolete equipment and poor service—to a competitive, market-led industry.

This shift enabled the landmark licensing of GSM operators in the early 2000s, which explosively grew mobile subscriptions and spurred the Nigerian Communications Act of 2003.

While crediting the policy for enabling Nigeria’s vibrant telecom sector, e-commerce, and digital finance, the NCC argues it now requires a full overhaul to address platform-based digital services, broadband-dependent applications, and emerging non-terrestrial networks like satellite.

Key proposed updates include Chapter Seven which reviews in order to strengthen online safety, deepen internet exchange protocols, and clarify content moderation and digital service regulations; Chapter Eight updates to create a modern framework for satellite services and the coexistence of terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks, including clearer spectrum mapping; and Chapter Ten addresses fiscal measures for sector growth, seeking solutions to persistent issues like multiple taxation.

A significant new chapter is also proposed, focusing on broadband objectives, protecting critical national communications infrastructure, harmonizing right-of-way charges across government tiers, and creating a one-stop permitting process for infrastructure deployment.

This directly tackles the major barrier of high right-of-way costs, which NCC data indicates contributed to an 85% surge in operator operating costs in 2024, reaching N5.85 trillion.

The overall review aims to modernize regulations, support Nigeria’s growing digital economy, and make infrastructure deployment faster and more cost-effective, thereby sustaining the sector’s trajectory as an engine of innovation and economic growth.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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