By Ezurike Ugochukwu

The Executive Secretary of the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA), Aliyu Yusuf Aboki, has called on Nigeria to move beyond telecommunications expansion and focus on broader digital transformation as the next phase of its economic development.

Aboki made the call at the Policy Review Workshop on the National Telecommunications Policy 2000, organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on behalf of the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani.

He said Nigeria’s long-term competitiveness will depend on how effectively the country translates its strong connectivity infrastructure into innovation, productivity gains, digital inclusion, and sustainable economic growth.

The workshop brought together policymakers, regulators, telecom operators, and industry stakeholders to assess the performance of Nigeria’s telecom policy framework and chart a new direction for the sector.

Aboki described the National Telecommunications Policy 2000 and the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 as landmark reforms that reshaped Nigeria’s communications landscape, transforming it from a system defined by scarcity and poor access into Africa’s largest telecom market by subscriber base.

He noted that the sector has attracted over $75 billion in investment over the past two decades and has evolved into one of Africa’s most vibrant digital ecosystems.

According to him, the ICT sector now plays a central role in Nigeria’s economy, powering financial services, commerce, education, healthcare, entrepreneurship, and public service delivery.

“Twenty-five years ago, telecommunications in Nigeria were characterised by scarcity, limited access, long waiting lists and weak infrastructure. Today, Nigeria is Africa’s largest telecom market by subscriber base and has attracted more than US$75 billion in investment”, he said.

While acknowledging the sector’s achievements, Aboki stressed that the next phase of policy must prioritise converting connectivity into broader economic and social value.

“The real question now is how we leverage this foundation to drive the next phase of transformation,” he said.

He urged policymakers to shift focus from network expansion alone to building a digital ecosystem that supports innovation, productivity growth, and wider participation across all segments of society.

Aboki also recommended that broadband infrastructure be recognised as critical national infrastructure, alongside power and transportation, given its importance to economic development.

He noted that while Nigeria successfully liberalised its telecom sector, infrastructure rollout—particularly fibre backbone networks, metropolitan fibre systems, and rural broadband—has not kept pace with rising data demand and mobile penetration.

To address this, he called for policies that encourage long-term infrastructure investment, infrastructure sharing, harmonised right-of-way regulations, and stronger broadband resilience.

He further emphasised the need for Nigeria’s telecom framework to evolve in line with emerging technologies such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital trade, digital manufacturing, and data governance.

The NCC has already begun reviewing the National Telecommunications Policy 2000, nearly three decades after its adoption, citing rapid technological changes that have outgrown the existing framework.

According to the Commission, the review seeks to reposition Nigeria’s telecom policy to reflect current realities in broadband expansion, internet governance, satellite communications, universal access, and digital services.

Proposed reforms include a new broadband development framework, stronger protection for critical national communications infrastructure, harmonisation of right-of-way charges across government levels, and a one-stop permitting system for telecom infrastructure deployment.

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