The call was made on Tuesday at the National Telecommunications Policy Review Workshop organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in Lagos. The forum was convened to assess the implementation of the National Telecommunications Policy 2000 and develop a more forward-looking framework for the sector.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, said Nigeria’s telecoms industry has evolved significantly beyond the assumptions that guided the 2000 policy.

He explained that the sector has transitioned from early-stage liberalisation—marked by limited telephone access and market reforms—to a more advanced digital ecosystem powered by broadband, artificial intelligence, 5G, satellite internet, cloud infrastructure, and a wide range of digital services.

Maida noted that when the 2000 policy was introduced, Nigeria’s telecom sector was at a very early stage of development, with fewer than 500,000 active phone lines serving over 120 million people under the defunct NITEL structure.

He credited the policy for opening the market to private investment, encouraging competition, and strengthening regulation through the Nigerian Communications Act of 2003, which led to rapid expansion in connectivity nationwide.

However, he warned that the sector now faces more complex challenges such as fibre cuts, vandalism of infrastructure, high energy costs, multiple taxation, slow permitting processes, and persistent rural connectivity gaps.

According to him, these issues go beyond operators’ concerns and represent wider national development challenges because they directly affect the quality and reach of digital services across the economy.

He described telecommunications as “productivity infrastructure” that supports key sectors such as agriculture, commerce, healthcare, education, manufacturing, financial services, and public administration.

Maida stressed that the new policy must retain core principles like competition, universal access, independent regulation, and consumer protection, while also introducing a framework that supports innovation, investment, resilience, and expanded broadband coverage.

Delivering a keynote address, the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination and Head of the Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit, Hadiza Bala Usman, said the review goes beyond a technical update and should be seen as a national development and governance priority.

She noted that effective policies must translate from documents into measurable outcomes that guide government action and delivery.

According to her, strong policy direction ensures certainty for regulators, investors, and institutions, while weak frameworks often lead to duplication, unclear responsibilities, and poor implementation.

Usman also highlighted telecoms as a critical enabler across sectors including digital trade, fintech, education, healthcare, agriculture, security, and public services.

She said the revised policy must address broader issues such as digital inclusion, cybersecurity, infrastructure resilience, investment, governance, and consumer protection, not just network expansion.

She further called for stronger collaboration among federal and state governments, regulators, private operators, and other stakeholders to resolve challenges such as rights of way, taxation, infrastructure deployment, and digital access gaps.

Usman added that the new policy should include a clear implementation plan with timelines, responsibilities, funding structures, performance indicators, and monitoring mechanisms.

She emphasised that policies should be treated as evolving tools of governance that are regularly reviewed and adjusted, rather than static documents.

Both speakers linked the policy review to the Federal Government’s digital economy agenda and broader economic reform goals, noting its potential to drive growth, innovation, job creation, and improved public service delivery.

The workshop is expected to produce recommendations that will shape the proposed National Telecommunications Policy 2026, focusing on broadband expansion, regulatory coordination, infrastructure protection, and Nigeria’s digital transformation strategy.