NCC Invites Public Contributions as Review of Telecom Policy Begins
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has opened a fresh round of consultations on the review of Nigeria’s National Telecommunications Policy (NTP) 2000, urging industry players and members of the public to submit written inputs.
In a notice published on its website, the Commission announced that stakeholders have until Friday, March 20, 2026, to forward their submissions to the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer or via email at stakeholders@ncc.gov.ng.
The move is in line with the provisions of the Nigerian Communications Act, which mandates a public consultative process before any review or formulation of policy for the communications sector.
Specifically, Section 24(1) of the Act requires that the Minister directs the Commission to carry out consultations ahead of policy modifications.
The review follows the inauguration of a Ministerial Steering Committee and a Ministerial Technical Committee by the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, to drive the process of updating the 25-year-old policy framework.
According to the NCC, the exercise will culminate in the drafting of a new National Telecommunications Policy 2026 to replace the existing NTP 2000, which has guided the sector’s transformation over the past two and a half decades.
Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Aminu Maida, noted in the consultation paper that the review is aimed at addressing emerging realities in the industry, including rising data demand and its associated challenges.
He observed that since the introduction of the NTP 2000, Nigeria’s telecom sector has grown significantly—from about 500,000 connected lines at inception to nearly 180 million active mobile subscriptions as of December 2026.
Maida added that the policy update will align with the Minister’s strategic blueprint focused on technical efficiency and sectoral growth.
Key areas under consideration include spectrum management, broadband expansion, universal access, net neutrality, quality of service, sustainability, emerging technologies, and national security.
He emphasized that this initial consultation marks only the first stage of a broader engagement process, assuring that further opportunities will be provided for stakeholders to review and comment on the draft policy before it undergoes statutory approval and validation.
The Commission stated that participation is open to telecom licensees, consumer groups, government agencies, development partners, civil society organisations, and other interested parties.
The NTP 2000, which replaced the 1998 telecommunications policy, laid the foundation for liberalisation, market competition, and sector deregulation, eventually paving the way for the enactment of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 and the rapid expansion of mobile telephony across the country.
