The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has officially commenced a review of the National Telecommunications Policy (NTP), which hasn’t been updated meaningfully in 26 years. Since it was established before Nigeria’s mobile revolution, updating it is essential to modernise the country’s legal framework for communication.
Back then, there were no smartphones, no 4G, no Twitter, and no TikTok. Making a phone call often meant waiting at a NITEL office or spending a lot of money on a SIM card that could cost as much as a piece of land. The NTP 2000 changed everything. It ended NITEL’s monopoly, began the GSM era, and led to the competitive market we have today.
But a lot has changed in two and a half decades. Today, that 2000 policy is outdated. It was created for a time when people mainly used voice calls and text messages, not for today’s world with Starlink satellites, AI data centres, and 5G streaming.
In a consultation paper released on Monday, the NCC acknowledged that the old framework is no longer valid. They pointed out that just as the 1998 policy had to change for the GSM revolution, the 2000 policy needs a complete update to keep up with the digital age.
The review will focus on specific, important areas.
First, Chapter Seven (Internet) is being rewritten to address new issues that have come up since 2000, such as online safety, content moderation, and Internet Exchange Protocols.
Then there is Chapter Eight (Satellite Communications). With companies like Starlink entering the market, the NCC wants to ensure that ground-based and space-based networks work well together.
But the part that will likely interest stakeholders the most is the proposed new chapter on Right of Way (RoW).
For years, telecom operators have complained that high fees from state governments are killing their business. Data shows they are right: the NCC reports that operating costs for telecom companies jumped 85% to about ₦5.85 trillion in 2024, driven largely by these Right of Way costs.
The new policy aims to improve this by introducing a “one-stop permitting process” and standardising fees across all levels of government. If successful, this could end the unfair charges that make it difficult to lay fibre cables in Nigeria.
The NCC is also looking at Chapter Ten (Financing), seeking support and tax reforms to help a sector that is now essential to Nigeria’s economy.
This change is long overdue. For 26 years, Nigeria’s telecom sector has been stuck with outdated regulations. It finally looks like improvements are coming.
