The Nigerian Communications Commission has commenced a review of the National Telecommunications Policy 2000 (NTP), nearly three decades after its approval, citing rapid technological changes and evolving market realities that have outpaced the existing framework.
The Commission announced the commencement of the review process on Monday as it released a consultation paper seeking stakeholders’ inputs into the proposed changes to the policy.
The NCC said the review is aimed at repositioning Nigeria’s telecommunications policy to reflect current dynamics in digital services, internet governance, satellite communications, broadband expansion and universal access, while sustaining the sector’s role as a key driver of economic growth.
According to the Commission, the National Telecommunications Policy 2000 was itself a response to an earlier framework that had become obsolete.
It added that the NTP replaced the 1998 policy and introduced full market liberalisation, 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.
“Prior to the liberalisation, midwifed by the NTP, Nigeria’s telecommunications sector was dominated by the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL), which was a government-owned monopoly.
“NITEL was reputably characterized by obsolete equipment, poor quality of service and low teledensity,” the Commission stated.
However, the Commission noted that just as the 1998 policy became outdated by rapid global technological changes, the 2000 policy now requires a comprehensive overhaul to address today’s realities, including platform-driven digital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 formulation of the National Telecommunications Policy led to the licensing of GSM operators in 2001 and 2002, a move that transformed the market almost overnight.
Mobile subscriptions quickly surpassed fixed-line users, revealing massive pent-up demand and market potential.
More significantly, the policy paved the way for the enactment of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, which established a strong statutory and regulatory foundation for the sector.
Since then, telecommunications has become one of Nigeria’s most vibrant industries, attracting unprecedented foreign direct investment and contributing significantly to GDP.
The NCC acknowledged that the NTP played a central role in enabling e-commerce, digital financial services and the broader digital economy, marking Nigeria’s transition from a slow-moving, state-controlled telecom sector to a competitive and innovation-driven market.
As part of the review, the Commission is proposing targeted updates to several chapters of the policy.
Chapter Seven on the Internet is set for revision to accommodate online safety, deepen internet exchange protocols and provide clearer policy direction on content moderation, online platforms and digital services operating within Nigeria.
Chapter Eight on Satellite Communications is also slated for a comprehensive review to establish a modern policy framework for satellite harmonisation, upper and lower stream service provisioning and coexistence between terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks.
The NCC said this would include clearer spectrum mapping to improve service quality and cost effective universal connectivity.
In addition, Chapter Ten on Financing and Funding will be reviewed to address monetary and fiscal support needed to stimulate sector growth, especially in the context of ongoing tax and fiscal reforms.
The NCC is also seeking stakeholder input on policy measures to tackle persistent challenges such as multiple taxation and overlapping regulations.
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.
Despite the growth recorded in the sector over the years, the high cost of right-of-way has remained a major obstacle to the expansion of telecom infrastructure.
Aside from slowing the pace of infrastructure deployment by telecom operators, this continues to push up the cost of operations in the sector.
According to data released by the NCC, operating costs of telecom operators in the country jumped by 85% to N5.85 trillion in 2024, driven largely by Right of Way cost.
The plan to include a new chapter on Right of Way charges in the new policy being proposed may help the industry to address this challenge.
